Students mourn crash victims

OREM — Scott Willis walked into his classroom at East Shore High School Monday to the usual sounds of students laughing and chatting.

But the news he had to deliver brought nearly 30 minutes of silence.

The students' 17-year-old classmate Jose Flores had been killed in a car accident the previous day.

"They were completely shocked," Willis said.

Flores was driving a sub-compact car early Sunday when it slammed into a concrete barricade on Emma Park Road, about a quarter of a mile from U.S. 6 in Spanish Fork Canyon. Utah County sheriff's investigators believe the car was traveling in excess of 90 mph when the crash occurred.

Also killed in the accident were passengers Vanessa Estrada, 13; Mauro Lopez, 16; and Manuel Gonzales, 19.

After telling them about the accident Monday, Willis asked his 32 students what they could do for their classmate's family. They decided to collect money to give to Flores' mother to help pay for him to be buried in Mexico, something his friends said the family wants.

Flores came to East Shore High, in the Alpine School District, as a ninth-grader in 2006. He quickly made a deal with Willis: If Willis would help Flores with his English, Flores would help Willis with his Spanish.

But Willis said something changed in Flores over the last year. He said Flores became much more motivated.

Just last Thursday, Willis told the school's principal how impressed he was with Flores, who had already finished a quarter's worth of math in just a couple of weeks. Willis said Flores told him he wanted to graduate, go to college and become an architect in Mexico.

"He was really super-excited about his future," Willis said.

Flores also had been looking forward to competing in a triathlon in November, a half-marathon in January and a full marathon in May. Friday had been his first day of training, Willis said.

He said it will take a few days for Flores' death to really sink in. "I've been numb about it all day," Willis said.

East Shore's principal of eight years, Tim Bradley, said the school had a grief counselor go around to all classes on Monday to offer support. Students at Mt. Nebo Junior High School, where Estrada was an eighth-grader, also met with grief counselors Monday.

"She was a very social girl," Nebo School District spokeswoman Lana Hiskey said of Estrada. "She did have a lot of friends, and many considered her their friend because she was so friendly."