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Teens Raise Funds For Friends' Funerals

3 Other Victims Of Friday's Wreck Remain In Critical Condition

POSTED: Sunday, June 7, 2009

Two days after three students at Ed White High School were killed in a wreck, four other teenagers who were in the SUV that blew and tire and overturned on Interstate 295 remain hospitalized.

Several classmates spent Sunday trying to help the families of John Kiely, Kimber Krebbs, and Dennis Stout, who died on Friday.

"Everyone's pretty shocked at Ed White," Katerina Ebersole said. "We see each other every day. It's kind of hard to know three of your classmates are dead.

Ebersole and fellow members of Ed White's NJROTC unit carried cans featuring photos of the three friends lost in the wreck to flea markets around Jacksonville. They were asking for money to help the families pay for funeral costs.

While most of the people they met had never met the victims, most did not hesitate to open their wallets to help the grieving families.

"A lot of these people have children also," Ebersole said. "I guess they put themselves in their place and feel the same grief they do."

John Kiely, Kimber Krebbs and Dennis Stout
 
VICTIMS OF TRAGEDY ON I-295
  
 
  John Kiely 15 Died at scene    
  Kimber Krebbs 15   Died at Shands    
  Dennis Stout 17 Died at Shands    
  Brandon Hodges 15 Driver - treated, released at Wolfson Children's Hospital    
  Rebecca Pilkinton  16  Front-seat passenger - critical condition at Shands    
  Erin Hurst 15 Critical condition at Shands    
  Timothy Adam 15 Critical condition at Shands    
  Jimmy Gracia 15 Fair condition at Wolfson Children's Hospital    
  Shannon Broome  15 Released Sunday from Wolfson Children's Hospital    
 
The three who died as they and six others were heading to the beach rather than class on the last day of school when the Florida Highway Patrol believes the tread on a rear tire separated, causing the vehicle to flip several times before striking a light pole.

Everyone but the driver -- the only person wearing a seat belt -- were ejected from the vehicle.

"I read the story this morning in the newspaper and I felt compelled to give," Keonya McKinney told Channel 4's Diane Cho. "It was a tragedy."

When people learned students were collecting money for the victims' families, people actually sought out the teens to be able to give.

"They're sympathetic. Theyre shocked a little bit. They want to help anyway they can," Brandi Corlet said.

The teens said they were able to raise at least $200 in just a few hours on Sunday.

Funeral Information; Condition Updates

A wake for Krebbs will be Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Prestwood Funeral Home in Baldwin. Her funeral will be Wednesday at the Evangel Temple on Romona Boulevard.

A viewing for Kiely will be Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Jacksonville Memory Gardens off Blanding Boulevard. His funeral will be Friday at 2 p.m., also at Jacksonville Memory Gardens.

Stout's funeral will be next Saturday at the Whitehouse Baptist Church on Celery Road.

Rebecca Pilkinton, Erin Hurst and Timothey Adam remained in critical condition Sunday at Shands. Jimmy Gracia was upgrated over the weekend to fair condition at Baptist.

The driver -- 15-year-old Brandon Hodges -- suffered only minor injuries. He was treated and released on Friday.

Beside the sympathy and generosity the students experienced Sunday, there was one other piece of good news: 15-year-old Shannon Broome was released from Baptist Medical Center.

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