It is sadly reported that in the early hours of December 23, 2023, two young lives of McCandless residents were ruined as an SUV carrying six persons collided with a tree along Irwin Road near Babcock Boulevard. In that crash, two were pronounced dead.
Victims and Emerging Details
The victims were identified as 18-year-old Taylor Orlowski and 14-year-old Jonathan Tourney, both teenagers who lost their lives in the horrific accident that day. At first, the responders arrived at the scene around 3 a.m. to look into the details. There have been some emerging details about the incident, such as the speeding SUV being operated by an 18-year-old man who lost control. It ultimately led to the distressing impact of a tree.
Taylor Orlowski was pronounced dead at the scene. At the same time, the other teenager, Jonathan Tourney, was taken to the hospital immediately, but sadly, due to his injuries, he couldn’t survive as well. The other two passengers were also hospitalized in stable condition, while two were not hospitalized and were pretty much well.
Pine-Richland School District News
The Pine-Richland School District announced this heartbreaking news to families and stated that.
“This is a time for our community and school district to focus on supporting the families impacted by this tragedy. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. As we prepare for the transition back to school, we will send additional information regarding our school-based support for all students, families, and staff.”
While coping with the loss, Pine-Richland football coach Jon LeDonne talked about Jonathan Tourney as a ninth-grade student who was an active and energetic participant in the high school football team. He also highlighted Tourney’s positive influence on the group. He mentioned that he always looked out for his teammates.
Not just this, the coach also talked about Jonathan Tourney’s family, who also faced some challenges in the past months, having lost their father and husband. Coach LeDonne humbly requested prayers for the devastated family during this challenging time.
Since this devastating tragedy, the Pine-Richland School District has also announced a support system for students, families, and staff members. Counselors, psychologists, and Glade Run clinicians will be available to support them and ease their stress when students return from the holidays on January 3, 2024.
GoFundMe
Neighbor Joe Merhaut has significantly been affected by this tragedy and has initiated a GoFundMe page to support Jonathan Tourney’s family. This is a humble gesture from his as the community rallied together, raising $60,000 in less than four hours, which is fantastic. Come forward and play your part as well. Your every contribution matters, even if it’s a little one.
Ongoing Investigations
The Allegheny County police’s homicide unit is currently in an ongoing investigation to look into the exact circumstances surrounding this crash; they want to understand the situation more clearly this heartbreaking loss.
Police have requested that.
Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call the county police tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain confidential.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
