The three Massachusetts high school seniors killed in a deadly crash in Florida last month were barreling down the road at a frightening 110 mph, in the dark, before the fatal collision, according to investigators.
James McIntosh, 18, was driving on US 98 near Panama City “at an excessive speed” with three other teens in the car when the vehicle crashed into a tractor trailer making a U-turn, according to a crash report from the Florida Highway Patrol obtained by the Boston Globe.
McIntosh “failed to slow to traffic turning in front of him” moments before the April 21 fatal wreck that killed him and Hannah Wasserman, 17, and left the two passengers, including state diving champion Maisey O’Donnell, 18, in critical condition.
O’Donnell — a star athlete at Concord-Carlisle High School — was pronounced dead at Massachusetts General Hospital three days later. The fourth unidentified 18-year-old senior was critically injured in the crash, but no update was given on their condition, according to the report.
Investigators found that Wasserman was the only teen not wearing a seatbelt during the crash.
McIntosh was also not tested for having drugs or alcohol in his system, the Boston Globe reported.
The tractor trailer driver, Kadyn DeWayne Ainsworth, 19, was estimated to be driving about 20 mph and failed to yield to the right of way when Mclntosh crashed into the truck.
The report did not indicate whether Ainsworth was cited or charged, the outlet reported.
“We understand the public’s desire for a fast resolution to these criminal investigations; however, it is more important that we conduct the best investigation possible for the people that are involved,” Florida Highway Patrol’s chief of public affairs, Lt. Jim Beauford, told the outlet.
A witness to the tragedy recounted seeing the SUV speed past him before wrecking.
Dr. Gary Howerton was heading home from work on the night of the crash and was stopped at a red light with no cars in sight when the light changed, and he accelerated to about 72 mph, he told the Globe. He then said he saw high beams from the SUV flashing at him, rapidly approaching from behind.
“The car just blew by me like I was standing still,” Howerton told the outlet. “My first impression was, ‘Oh no.’ Something bad is going to happen because of the way he was driving.”
Moments later, he recalled hearing the boom of the collision down the road.
Howerton rushed over to the crash site and saw the SUV’s roof ripped off and torn to pieces in a wooded area off the road.
The doctor, who specializes in emergency medicine, said he rushed over to try to help those inside the SUV, but there was nothing he could do.
“This car was just going so fast,” he said. “It shouldn’t have happened.”
The teens were in Florida for spring break when the deadly crash occurred and left the community around Concord-Carlisle High School grieving just months before graduation.
“The loss of our daughter has devastated us beyond words. We are seeking to understand what led to this senseless tragedy, so others may never have to experience a similarly heartbreaking loss,” the statement from O’Donnell’s family lawyer said, according to the Globe.
O’Donnell was a two-time Massachusetts MIAA Division I State Diving Champion, undefeated in her junior and senior seasons.
She was set to attend Williams College next year, where she planned to dive at the collegiate level.
Her coach, Joe Chirico, told WCVB last month that she was a role model for younger athletes.
“It’s a tragedy,” Chirico told the outlet.
“The little kids looked up to her, the other divers looked up to her. It’s a tragedy, that somebody at the top of their game, going to the best academic school, one of the best divers in the nation, was cut so short.”
O’Donnell is survived by her parents, Christopher and Elizabeth, and her sister, Emery, according to her obituary.
Wasserman is remembered as a competitive dancer and instructor who cherished her job teaching younger dancers.
She was set to head off to Syracuse University in the fall.
She is survived by her parents, Charlie and Jennifer, and her two brothers, Henry and Ben, according to her obituary.
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