Whitesboro, TX—Residents are still in shock after two teens were killed and one injured in a weekend accident on U.S. Highway 82. One of them was a student at Whitesboro High School. Daniel Armbruster reports.

16-year old Kendall Golden of Whitesboro and her friend 18-year old Dale Everett Thomas of Sherman, were traveling westbound with another friend just after midnight on Sunday, when the car they were riding in veered off the roadway and crashed.
This is the second tragedy for Whitesboro students in less than two months and makes returning to school difficult for not only those who knew Golden, but even those who did not.

"It wasn't that good of a day,” said Payden Stoker, a freshman, at Whitesboro High School.

Stoker had Spanish class with Golden. On Monday, he said he and other students were shocked to learn she and Thomas were killed this weekend.

"She wasn't ever mean to anybody. She just seemed like a nice person to be around,” said Stoker.

Superintendent Steve Kolb, Ph.D., said the school is offering grief counseling to all students to help them cope with the loss...

"A small school like ours they all know each other. They've gone to school with each other for ever and it's like losing part of your family,” said Kolb.

Friends and family alike are mourning Golden's death. Sunday evening Golden's father, Larry, told KXII his last memory of his daughter...

"The other night, she came into my bedroom, gave me a hug, gave me kiss, and a few hours later, she was gone," said Golden.

Phil Johnson knows all too well the pain of losing a child. In May 2007, his 16 year old daughter Shelby was killed while on her way to school.
He says the death of a child is the hardest thing for a parent to face.
"That initial thing is just disbelief and devastation…When it all becomes real to you that you've lost your child. That you aren't going to be able to put your arms around that child,” said Johnson.

Johnson turned his grief into action by helping to form the Less Tears More Years project, and a counseling group that meets once a month to help parents deal with the of a child.

"My heart goes out to those family and friends of these two young precious lives that were lost,” said Johnson.
Johnson says right now the focus should be on the grieving process for everyone, but down the road raising awareness about teen driving safety should be a top priority.

"What we should do at this point is not let these lives go in vain is to work at preventing this from happening again. As for a silver lining, there's not a silver lining,” said Johnson.

The Common Ground Grief Support Group will meet Tuesday January 5, 2010 at De Happy Cajun, 5005 FM 120, Pottsboro, TX. For more information you can reach Phil Johnson by email : pjohnson@lesstearsmoreyears.org.

Funeral arrangements for Kendall Golden have been set. Her father tells KXII there will be a family night at the Meador Funeral Home on Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. at the First Baptist church on Center Street in Whitesboro.

As for the cause of the accident, the Critical Accident Investigation Team of the Sherman Police department is investigating but right now will only say that speed did play a role in the crash.