Her full-of-life smile and optimistic eyes brought cheer to everyone who met her. Such was the charm of a Catholic School student, Samantha Kalkbrenner. The 15-year-old was way past the awkward teenage phase and instead loved everything about her life.
But the ray of sunshine has been taken away by a deadly accident.
On September 20, 2023, in the early hours of Wednesday morning, a school van containing the students at Serra Catholic High School collided with a vehicle coming from the opposite direction. The accident, which happened around 7:20 a.m., claimed the life of Samantha Kalkbrenner, a 15-year-old student, while injuring three more students and two adults. All the passengers were immediately taken to the hospital, while the drivers of both vehicles were reportedly in critical condition.
What Happened to Samantha Kalkbrenner?
Samatha Kalkbrenner was a sophomore at Serra Catholic High School and was one of the talented cheerleaders. The 15-year-old was on her usual commute, traveling in the school van in Dravosburg.
At around 7:20 a.m. on a Wednesday, the school van took a sharp left turn. Unbeknownst to the driver of the van, another car was heading towards the same curve, leading to a fatal crash.
After the collision, the van rolled off and trapped Samantha inside. The heavy van crushed the little girl inside, leading to her sad demise.
The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh confirmed that Samantha was a student of Serra Catholic. An on-campus prayer was arranged at around 7 p.m. on September 21, while they announced that the schools would remain closed to pay respects to their fallen angel and her family.
The Diocese put out a statement–
“The Serra Catholic school community is close-knit, and this has deeply impacted many. The principal, president, staff, teachers, and the school chaplain, along with the diocesan school superintendent and assistant superintendent have been working to comfort school families and each other.”
15-Year-Old Killed in Dravosburg School Van Crash Explained
Jessica McCauley and her husband were driving their son to school. Moving past the intersection, they saw an intense crash between two vehicles that set the van ablaze. The couple stopped immediately upon realizing that it was a school van.
McCauley told the media,
“We saw the fire and I said, ‘That’s a school bus,’ and he pulled over right up here.”
“My husband ran over, put the fire out, and I ran over to the kids and took my sweatshirt off, started putting it on the kids, trying to help stop bleeding and keep them alert.”
McCauley saw Samantha being crushed by the van that had rolled off and tried to lift it with her husband and 30 more people who had gathered around but to no avail. The couple was the first one to call 911 and inform the authorities of the mishap. She explained the exact details of what they witnessed–
“They were coming from McKeesport, and the white car passed up and then the Jeep came flying around the bend and almost hit into the edge of the bridge and took off. They were weaving in and out of different cars and just flying.”
Everyone who witnessed the scene had shared concerns about the risky roads, blind curves, and intersections.
Another witness, Amy Kovka, raised her growing inhibitions on the accident-prone routes–
“It’s sad — someone, please — I don’t know who I could speak to. Please Dravosburg, do something with this road. How many more accidents are we going to have? How many more people are going to get killed before something gets done?”
Police are in the process of investigating the exact cause of the crash.
Regardless, the entire community is saddened by an exuberant life taken too soon. In a heart-wrenching social media post, Samantha’s father, Carl, penned his daughter’s legacy– “There are no words. Samantha was as close to perfect as a child could get. She loved her life and everything about it. If you knew her, you loved her that’s the impact she had in this life. I will miss my baby forever, and there will forever be a hole in my heart. Thank you all for your emotional support.”
Here’s a GoFundMe page details for Samantha and her family to cope with the tragic loss–
What are your thoughts on the accident-prone area? Should there be more precautionary measures for such interconnected routes? Let us know in the comments section below.
