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Madison Schools Prepare Grief Counselors After Crash Kills Student

Friends Say Victim Cherished Family, Friends

Posted: 7:26 pm CDT May 31, 2009

Shock and questions remain after a Friday night crash killed one girl and critically injured two other local teens.

While the Madison Metropolitan School District isn't releasing the names or schools of those involved, district officials are preparing counseling services as students return to class on Monday. They said there will be additional support for students and staff at two Madison schools that have been directly affected, and their siblings' schools.

Dionna Cook, a 14-year-old eighth-grader at O'Keefe Middle School, was killed in the crash. Cook was set to graduate next week.

"She was like a real sweet girl," said O'Keefe sixth-grader Tyshai Robinson. "She stuck up for people. She cherished her family and her friends."

Two boys involved in the crash are 14 and 15 year old students from Madison East High School.

Friends of the teens involved continue to stop by the make-shift memorial in the 2900 block of Milwaukee Street.

Madison police said that the crash happened at around 11:20 Friday night. The 15-year-old driving a Toyota Corolla with five passengers first struck a parked car and then veered into an SUV, killing Cook and critically injuring two other teens in the car.

"The boy that was driving the car, I knew him since fifth grade," said La Follette High School freshman Asian Moseberry. "I know that they never do anything like that. I knew they smoke and (drank) and I was like, 'Y'all don't need to be doing that,' but I never thought that they would do something like this and actually run from it."

Family members said the teens were celebrating one of the girls' birthdays.

Police arrested the driver of the SUV that the teens crashed into. Anthony Cardona, 40, is tentatively charged with OWI, other charges are pending.

Police didn't say who the car the teens were in belonged to, or whether the 15-year-old driver had a learner's permit. Even if the boy had a learner's permit, state law requires those with a permit to have an adult, 19 or older with a valid driver's license accompanying them when driving, WISc-TV reported.

All six people in the car at the time of the crash were under the age of 16.

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