Warren schools open today to help crash victim families cope with tragedy

Warren schools open today to help crash victim families cope with tragedy

WARREN

The Sunday-morning car crash that killed six Warren teens is the third large-scale tragedy to strike the city and its school district in 21 months. It ranks as the most deadly car crash in Trumbull County history.

And officials in Warren City Schools knew the emotional toll it would take on the children, adults and staff would be too enormous for everyone to handle alone, Superintendent Michael Notar said Monday.

Notar, speaking at a press conference at the school administration building, said he and other school administrators considered closing the school district today as a result of the tragedy, but Ed Bolino of Valley Counseling and others convinced officials to keep the district open.

“We actually had some of the siblings of the deceased that came to school today,” Notar said. “I think they needed that support.

“I think in times like these, [the grieving] reach out to teachers and other students that they feel comfortable being around, so we just want to keep our doors open for our students to provide that support that they might not get if you close school.”

Mayor Doug Franklin said the house fire in June 2011 that killed four children and two adults and the house fire a year ago that killed two children and two adults have shown the city’s compassion.

“We’re a community that celebrates our victories together ... but we’re also a community that pulls together and cares for each other at times like this,” he said.

Lt. Brian Holt of the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Southington Post also attended the press conference, saying officials are still investigating to determine where the eight kids age 14 to 19 had been before the 7 a.m. crash and where they were going.

He said it would be premature to say what caused the accident, which happened on Pine Avenue Southeast about a mile south of downtown.