An early morning crash in St. Tammany Parish on Wednesday claimed the lives of two teens and left two others hospitalized. Saint Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Captain Lance Vitter said the one-vehicle accident on Guste Island Road west of Madisonville happened shortly after midnight and two young girls were dead on the scene.
“You know the other ones will suffer with it the rest of their lives. It’s never a good time for anyone to lose their lives especially days before the start of the new school year it’s a tragedy for the community,” said Vitter.
The two girls who were killed have been identified as Chloe Shartle of Covington and Makayla Bonura of Madisonville. Both were 16-years-old.
The exact cause of the accident remains under investigation and Vitter said the four young girls were occupants of a 2019 Honda Civic that left the roadway, struck two trees, a telephone pole, and other stationary objects. Vitter said it’s unknown if one of the fatalities included the driver of the vehicle.
“The scene obviously with just explaining that it struck several stationary objects, the scene was pretty horrific,” said Vitter.
Investigators believe speed is a contributing factor in the crash and it’s not known if they were wearing restraints. Vitter said their thoughts go out to the families who have lost loved ones and the community as they grapple with the loss of young lives.
“Two lives tragically lost in a crash, that sounds like after the investigation is concluded, that could have possibly been avoided,” said Vitter.
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