Shocked school grieving mates
THE Darwin High School community is in mourning today following the tragic deaths of two of its students on a dark strip of the Stuart Highway between Bees Creek and Sayers roads at Coolalinga early yesterday morning.
Shocked and grieving students took to Facebook yesterday posting tributes to the two mates.
The outpouring of grief has spread to other schools in the Darwin and Palmerston areas where the two students had friendships.
Senior members of the school, the Education Department and police met yesterday to put in train a grief managem ment plan for students and st staff.
Department of Education Chief saC said schools Executive Cs which Vicki have Baylis been im impacted by the fatal crash are b being supported by the departm ment.
“Our focus will be ensuring t the wellbeing of our students a and staff,” Ms Baylis said.
“Counselling support for i impacted students and staff will be available from Monday and will continue until required.”
Darwin High School teachers are preparing for one of the school’s darkest days when students return to class tomorrow.
“It is just devastating … an absolute awful shock,” said one of the school’s teachers who was still coming to terms with the news of the loss of two students.
“Lots of students will be upset not only from our school but from others.
“You really have to feel for everyone in such a terrible, terrible tragedy.”
Residents and those at shops and markets in the Coolalinga area also reacted with shock at the horror that had unfolded just a little more than a kilometre south along the highway from where they were.
Some Freds Pass markets patrons and stall holders had already passed by the accident scene where shoes and other belongings of the victims lay scattered on the highway.
Some reacted with disbelief and sadness.
A member of the Howard Springs Polo Cross club told how two of it young members knew the victims.
“They’re pretty upset, we’re all feeling a little numb,” he said.
Other stall holders told of the grim feeling that swept over them seeing the scattered belongings and severely damaged white ute on the highway alongside the World War Two Sattler airstrip.
At the Coolalinga shops, Steve a fly-in fly-out worker said his heart went out to the parents of all involved.
“I have teenage kids and I know how devastated I would be right now if it was one of my children,” he said.
“This is every parent’s worst nightmare.”