South Elgin High School crash: Two teenage girls killed in car accident while driving to school

On Thursday, August 31, two teenage girls died in a car accident near South Elgin High School. According to ABC Chicago, the deceased were among four female passengers who were travelling towards the high school in a Honda Civic.

At approximately 7 am, their vehicle collided with a Mack Semi-Truck, killing two of the girls and leaving the other two injured. The truck driver reportedly suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Trigger warning: This article concerns a fatal car crash, the reader's discretion is advised

According to CBS, the South Elgin High School collision is currently under investigation by Illinois authorities. In the wake of the accident, first responders and other teams could be seen clearing the wreckage of the crash.

As the case is in the early stages of investigatio, the names of the people involved have not yet been released.

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South Elgin High School crash: Rescue team had to dismantle vehicle to reach girls inside

On the morning of August 31, four teenage girls were on their way to South Elgin High School. The Daily Herald reported that at least two of the girls were related. As they approached an area that was two blocks away from the high school, their car collided with the semi-truck near Kenyon road.

Shortly after the collision, various first responders were called to the area. William J. Luchsinger, the South Elgin and Countryside Fire Protection District Fire Chief, said that his rescue teams had to dismantle the Honda Civic in order to reach the girls inside.

Upon destroying a part of the vehicle, they found three of the women unconscious, while another was pronounced dead at the scene.

A second victim was later pronounced dead while being treated for her injuries. A third girl currently remains under critical condition, while the fourth sustained non-life threatening injuries.

Luchsinger commented on the incident:

"The incident happened in the intersection, however it was pushed off into the southwest corner into the cornfield. Every accident is hard to deal, with especially one such as this."

In an official statement, School district U-46 Superintendent Suzanne Johnson said that due to the close knit nature of their community, the situation has shaken everyone to their core. However, this has also prompted several people to offer help to the victims and their families.

"Despite the fact that we are a very large school district, we seem to have that small community feel, and it took just a matter minutes today for this to unfold and then have this outpouring of support," Johnson said.

In another statement, South Elgin High School officials announced that they are providing help to all students who feel affected by the incident. If need be, counselors and social workers will be made available to anyone who requries emotional support.