Community rallies around girls killed in train accident
Emma Hilton, front, along with Natasha and Nicole Randall, places flowers at a memorial for Essa Ricker and Kelsea Webster on Monday, Oct. 17, 2011. Ricker and Webster, both 15, were killed Saturday evening after being hit by a train near their homes in Spanish Fork Canyon. Kelsea's younger sister, Savannah Webster, 13, was critically injured in the accident. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Nicole Randall, Trevor Salimbene, Natasha Randall, and Emma Hilton visit a memorial for Essa Ricker and Kelsea Webster on Monday, Oct. 17, 2011. Ricker and Webster, both 15, were killed Saturday evening after being hit by a train near their homes in Spanish Fork Canyon. Kelsea's younger sister, Savannah Webster, 13, was critically injured in the accident. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Trevor Salimbene, Natasha Randall, Emma Hilton and Nicole Randall hug each other beside a memorial for Essa Ricker and Kelsea Webster on Monday, Oct. 17, 2011. Ricker and Webster, both 15, were killed Saturday evening after being hit by a train near their homes in Spanish Fork Canyon. Kelsea's younger sister, Savannah Webster, 13, was critically injured in the accident. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
A road crosses train tracks near the site where Essa Ricker and Kelsea Webster, both 15, were killed Saturday evening after being hit by a train near their homes in Spanish Fork Canyon. Kelsea's younger sister, Savannah Webster, 13, was critically injured in the accident. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Some students at Diamond Fork Junior High School and at Maple Mountain High School wore their Sunday best in honor of Essa Ricker and Kelsea Webster, both 15, who were killed Saturday evening after being hit by a train near their homes in Spanish Fork Canyon. Kelsea's younger sister, Savannah Webster, 13, was critically injured in the accident. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Three Utah County teens were hit by a train on Saturday near Covered Bridge Canyon in Spanish Fork Canyon. Essa Ricker, 15, and her friend Kelsea Webster, 15, died and Savannah Webster, 13, Kelsea's younger sister, is still at Primary Children's Medical Center in critical condition Monday morning. Courtesy Facebook
SPANISH FORK — A somber mood descended on both Diamond Fork Junior High and Maple Mountain High schools Monday, according to school officials. Students who normally chatted excitedly were quiet and giving each other hugs. Many of them wore their Sunday best.
The students were mourning the deaths of two classmates, Kelsea Webster and Essa Ricker, both 15, who were killed Saturday evening when they were struck by a train. Webster was a sophomore at Maple Mountain, while Ricker was in ninth grade at Diamond Fork. Webster’s younger sister, Savannah Webster — who also attends Diamond Fork — was critically injured in the accident. She underwent multiple surgeries at Primary Children’s Medical Center over the weekend and reportedly was stable but still in critical condition Monday.
The girls lived in the small community of Covered Bridge, located about 5 miles up Spanish Fork Canyon. According to Utah County Sheriff’s Sgt. Spencer Cannon, the girls were struck as eastbound and westbound trains passed one another. Cannon said the engineer of the eastbound train saw the girls and activated his horn. Authorities believe the girls realized one train was passing but may not have heard the second train approaching.
Nebo School District spokeswoman Lana Hiskey said the girls appeared to have been on the train tracks taking pictures for fun. She also said that the two Webster sisters recently moved to Covered Bridge from California and that they were good friends with Ricker, not cousins, as was widely reported.
In the wake of the accident, the community has rallied together. Hiskey said that students, using text messages and the Internet, organized a coordinated effort to wear their Sunday dress clothing in honor of the girls. A Facebook event titled “Best Dress For Essa and Kelsea” also was created and had more than 660 confirmed guests early Monday afternoon.
The effort appeared to work. Monday afternoon as students streamed out of Diamond Fork Junior High many boys could be seen wearing button-up shirts and ties, and numerous girls wore skirts and dresses.
Hiskey added that at Maple Mountain High School the female audition choir, Sorella Voca, performed at lunchtime. Kelsea Webster participated in the choir. Students also are working to console the girls’ families.
“They’re also putting together sympathy cards,” Hiskey said. The cards will be delivered directly to the families.
At the picturesque turnoff to Covered Bridge in Spanish Fork Canyon, other mourners erected a makeshift memorial. By Monday afternoon, two small pine crosses stood beside the railroad tracks. The crosses were adorned with wreaths of white flowers, and a cluster of teddy bears, flowers and Spider Man ephemera was on the ground nearby.
For members of the girls’ school community, Hiskey added that the school district is offering grief counseling and is concerned for the families.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families,” Hiskey said.
Her husband, Bruce Hiskey, who is the LDS stake president for the area, said Monday that the families are devastated but trying to work through the incident.
“They’re trying to just put one foot in front of the other,” he said.
But the community is working to support the families, Bruce Hiskey added. He said that during a church meeting over the weekend, he felt that all 3,601 members of the stake wanted to express their love and support.
Many people have also stepped forward to bring meals to the families, help out at the funeral and fulfill other responsibilities.
