Crash victims remembered
Hugs, tears and a somber mood among the dozens of people in attendance pervaded a candlelight vigil held Friday at the intersection of Bluff Road and Trout Hollow Road in memory of three teenagers who died in a vehicle crash there last Tuesday.
The memorial honored 18-year-old Joshua Moate, 15-year-old Hailey Lattina and 13-year-old Savannah Amsden, all of whom lived in Dupo at some point.
βWe had put together a celebration of life to light candles for the ones who have passed,β said 16-year-old Kylie Radford, who helped organize the event through social media.
According to a preliminary Illinois State Police report, a 2007 silver Pontiac sedan driven by Moate with the other two teens as passengers was traveling north on Bluff Road approaching the curve near Trout Hollow Road when a white box truck driven by a 33-year-old man from St. Louis was heading south on Bluff Road and turning onto Trout Hollow Road.
The Pontiac struck the rear passenger side of the box truck as it was turning, with all three teens being ejected from the vehicle and being pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver was uninjured.
ISP closed the road for several hours to investigate the crash, which remains under investigation.
Moate, who most recently lived in south St. Louis County, worked for Pretzel Pretzel and dreamed of owning his own pretzel store, according to his obituary. His nickname was βJoshman.β He formerly attended school in Dupo.
βJosh, he was very outgoing,β Radford said. βHe always wanted to make people happy and entertain people. He always wanted to make sure people were doing OK.β
Lattina was a sophomore at Dupo High School.
βYou were the best sister-in-law a person could ask for,β Sydney Lattina wrote on Facebook. βYou immediately looked at me like I was family the first day we met. Iβm very heartbroken that youβre gone.β
Amsden, a Dupo resident, was an eighth-grader at St. Maryβs in Belleville, per her obituary.
βSavannah was just a very good person,β Radford said. βShe always made sure other people were doing great and better than her.β
Tracy Gochal, one of Amsdenβs teachers who saw her about two hours before she died, echoed that sentiment.
βShe had a very big, caring heart. She liked to please others,β Gochal said.
The Dupo School District also acknowledged the deaths in a letter to families last week, in addition to providing emotional support at school.
βAs a Dupo Tiger family, we extend our deepest sympathies to the families and others who have been affected by this loss,β the district wrote.
At the vigil, loved ones ranging in age from children to senior citizens added candles, balloons and a T-shirt to the memorial that had been constructed at the intersection the day after the teenagers died.
Ariana Kukorola, one of Amsdenβs cousins, also led an effort to write LLS, LLH and LLJ in candles, which stood for Long Live Savannah, Hailey and Josh, respectively.
With that done, the group gathered at the memorial released a paper lantern that many in attendance signed, lit their personal candles, and released balloons that were the favorite colors of each of the deceased.
Loved ones said the support from the community has been helpful in this unimaginable time.
βIt kind of feels like relief for me,β Kukorola, 15, said of the support. βItβs still kind of hard to believe that theyβre all gone because they were so young. But age doesnβt matter. It can happen to anyone.β
βJust be careful and drive safe, and know that you guys are young with a really long life ahead of you,β added 16-year-old Madasen Kemp, who also knew the victims and helped organize the vigil. βThings can happen quicker than you think it can.β
In addition to the showing of support at Fridayβs vigil, community members have donated over $16,000 through three GoFundMe campaigns to help the teensβ families pay for funeral expenses.
βItβs really nice to know thereβs a lot of people who care,β Kukorola said. βIt means a lot to the families and their really close friends.β
Moateβs godmother, Dawn Barbercheck, echoed that sentiment.
βWe just want to thank everybody for all their love and support, and not just for our family but for all the families,β she said. βThis is a tragedy for a very small community.β