TECUMSEH, Okla. – Hundreds gathered to remember two teens killed in a car crash Monday night at Tecumseh High School.
The vigil was held in remembrance of 17-year-old Shelby Johnson, and 18-year-old Logan Deardorff. The two high school sweethearts died Saturday evening when a white car rear-ended Logan’s Mustang on 45th in Shawnee.
At the high school Monday were not only the teens loved-ones and friends, but faculty and students, and members of the wider area community, all showing up to show support for the deeply felt loss.
“It’s heartbreaking, it’s just really really hard to hear that, whether you know of that person or not,” said Tecumseh Early Childhood Education coach Lacey Forrester. She knew Shelby through her work with children.
“She helped that teacher in her classroom, whether they had her reading with them or just interacting with them,” Forrester said. “She was always super sweet, always had a smile on her face.”
Senior Hunter Eubanks said Logan was one of her best friends, and acted like it as soon as they got to know each other.
“He started talking to me like we had been friends for a while,” Eubanks said. He was a friend to everyone he met. “He was just very open to all people.”
But Logan’s mother, Cheryl McKenzie, said the families are feeling an outpouring of support from everyone, regardless of how well they knew the two.
“I`m overwhelmed with the support and the people,” McKenzie said, “very surprised to be honest. Just for a complete stranger to reach out and say, your son`s really going to be missed.”
The high school staffed extra counselors for students going through grief.
Logan’s family has set up a donation page for his funeral costs.
