By PETER O’CAIN
and CHRIS TUCKER
Bremerton Patriot
Volunteers at Olympic High School prepared 600 candles for an evening vigil for three students killed in a car accident early the previous morning, Jan. 11.
They began passing out candles at 6 p.m. By 6:35 p.m. there were none left.
Students and community members gathered to remember OHS students Luther Stoudermire, an 18-year-old senior, Kassidy Clark, a 16-year-old junior, and Jenna Farley, a 14-year-old freshman.
Friends and family recounted stories until about 8 p.m.
Reuben Farley, Jenna’s father, spoke and thanked the community for its support.
“I’ll miss my girl,” Farley said. “I just want to say thank you for everybody coming out.”
“I don’t even know how to describe the support that happens from the community from this. From my friends, my family,” Farley said.
“There’s no words to describe the support that happens—for all three kids, not just mine.”
Farley said he was handling the loss of his daughter “As well as can be expected for a family that just lost a daughter.” He described his family as “very strong.”
Elbert Stoudermire, Luther’s brother, described the outpouring of love for his brother as “wonderful.”
Stoudermire told the crowd, many of whom were distraught, to “Love your family. Love your friends. Pick your battles. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Life will go on.”
Keith Moore, a junior at OHS, delivered a series of funny and emotional stories of Stoudermire, Clark and Farley.
“Every party that (Clark) went to I was there and I made sure she was alright. And sadly I missed Saturday,” Moore said. Moore paused to cry and hug a friend before continuing. “I wasn’t there. She wasn’t alright. Jenna on the other hand. Jenna was my bus buddy with Malibu 12. She was a fun person. Energetic person. I miss Malibu, man, it was so fun. Kassidy, she always had a positive attitude to everyone even though she was silent the whole time. ‘Hey Kassidy, how you doin? Kassidy, how you doin’?’ ‘I’m fine.’ ‘I’m glad you doin’ OK.’
“But I certainly miss all of them. I wish I was there last night, I mean I wish I was there Saturday night because if … every party I went to Luther was there and I made sure he was cool. I feel so guilty.”
Teen driver may be charged as an adult
A hearing will be held to determine whether the driver in Sunday’s fatal car crash will be charged as an adult.
Todd Dowell, senior deputy prosecutor with the Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, said that the hearing was required since Class A felony charges had been filed.
The driver, Marcus Allen McKay, 17, of Bremerton, was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide during an initial appearance at the Kitsap County Superior Court Juvenile Division on Jan. 12.
Deputy Scott Wilson with the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office said the hearing is set for 9 a.m. on Jan. 26 at Kitsap County Superior Court. McKay has been released into the custody of his parents on his own personal recognizance with conditions regarding his freedom of movement and conduct, he said.
Wilson said he still had a lot of investigation work to do including interviews and crash reconstruction.
“We’re only into day one,” he said of the investigation.
Wilson said the Sheriff’s Office was investigating whether drugs or alcohol was a factor in the crash.
“We’re looking into that,” Wilson said.
He said there was enough evidence for the Sheriff’s Office to develop probable cause to ask a judge for a warrant to do a blood draw. The results of the blood draw are pending completion of toxicology tests at the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab.
According to King 5 News, a county prosecutor alleged McKay had smoked marijuana one hour prior to the crash, and was speeding 75 mph in a 45 mph zone at the time of the crash.
Wilson could not verify the prosecutor’s allegations. Wilson said no traffic citations had been issued.
Crash after a curve
According to the Sheriff’s Office, McKay and three other teenagers had just left a party being held in the area when the crash occurred.
Stoudermire, from the East Bremerton area of Central Kitsap, was riding in the front passenger seat of the 1996 Toyota Corolla four-door sedan.
Clark, from the East Bremerton area of Central Kitsap, and Farley, from the Rocky Point area of Bremerton, were sitting in the back seat.
Wilson said the car was traveling northbound near the 6600 block of Seabeck–Holly Road NW when it came to a slight turn in the road.
“It’s not a sharp, hairpin curve. It’s a very gradual turn,” Wilson said.
McKay lost control of the vehicle when he came out of the curve. The vehicle drifted off the pavement and onto the shoulder. The vehicle was nearly parallel with the road, but angled slightly as the right side of the vehicle began to go over the embankment of a drainage ditch which had recently been cleared of vegetation. The vehicle then struck an earthen driveway access.
“It hit that driveway and the car went airborne,” Wilson said. He wasn’t certain how high the vehicle went, but it struck a tree on the passenger side as it came down. The impact caused the vehicle to spin around its axis, roll over and came to rest on its top.
The three passengers were declared deceased at the scene of the crash. Clark and Farley were ejected from the rear windows and Wilson said he did not know for certain if they were wearing seat belts properly or not.
McKay was wearing a seat belt and survived the crash. He was treated at Harrison Medical Center and then booked in Kitsap County Youth Services Center (juvenile detention).
Persons with information about the crash are asked to contact Deputy Andrew Aman, sheriff’s traffic unit, at 360-337-4634.
‘Seat belts save lives’
“Seat belts save lives,” Wilson said.
When a vehicle comes to a sudden stop due to a crash and an occupant is not belted, “You are now a missile inside the compartment of that car because there’s nothing to keep you in your seat. In all likelihood you’re going to impact the windshield,” Wilson said.
“The importance of wearing seat belts has been proven thousands of times over the course of motor vehicle operations throughout the world.”
