Extra counsellors were on hand at Clayton Heights Secondary this week after two students at the Surrey high school were killed in a multi-vehicle crash in Delta on Monday afternoon.
Delta Police said the incident, which involved five vehicles, took place on a hilly curve on Highway 10 between Scott Road and Highway 91 at about 3:15 p.m.
Sgt. Sarah Swallow said the preliminary investigation indicates a westbound vehicle crossed the centre line into oncoming traffic.
Two 17-year-olds – the driver and passenger in the westbound vehicle – died at the scene.
While Delta Police did not name the deceased, friends and family have identified the pair on social media as Chantal MacLean and Cody Kehler – both Clayton Heights students and avid rugby players.
Doug Strachan, communications manager for the Surrey School District, said extra counselling support would be available at the high school should anyone need it.
"It's obviously a devastating impact even to lose one student during the course of a school year," he said. "But to lose two on the same day, there's a lot of students and staff affected."
MacLean's sister said on Facebook that Cody and Chantal were a couple and were on their way to have Thanksgiving dinner at Cody's family's house when the crash occurred.
"I can't cry enough tears to make it better. It doesn't feel real," she said. "My heart aches."
Another friend who knew the pair said, "Two amazing people taken from us way too soon."
Several others suffered a variety of injuries in the incident, but none requiring lengthy hospital care, said Swallow. She added traffic analysts continue to work to determine the cause of the crash.