Two Bradford Area High School students died Friday night in a
crash along West Washington Street near Marilla Reservoir, and a
third was seriously injured.
Evan Michael Yehl, 18, of 318 Derrick Road, Derrick City, and
Britt A. Bookhamer, 18, of Bradford, both died in the accident,
according to McKean County Coroner Mike Cahill. The coroner said
Sunday night that Yehl, who was driving, died of blunt force trauma
to the head; Bookhamer died of blunt force trauma to the head and
body.
A third teen in the vehicle, Ian Clark, is currently
hospitalized at Hamot Medical Center in Erie, where he was now in
fair condition, a nursing supervisor said Sunday night.
The crash was actually the first of two that happened almost
simultaneously, though no serious injuries came from the
second.
They occurred about 10:18 p.m. Friday, when two vehicles, each
containing three male teens, were traveling east together.
The first crash saw the Yehl-driven car leave the road and
impact numerous trees, according to Bradford Township Police. The
car erupted into flames, resulting in the deaths of Bookhamer and
Yehl and the serious injury to Clark, who was later transported to
Hamot for treatment.
The second car, operated by their friend, Jeffrey A. Caldwell,
19, of 11 Babcock Road, crashed while trying to avoid the first
accident, police said.
Caldwell’s car struck guiderails off the berm and crossed both
lanes of traffic, police said. It then struck an embankment and
came to rest in a ditch.
Caldwell and his two passengers, Joshua M. Hilmes, 18, of Lewis
Run, and Brenton S. Goldthwait, 16, of Bradford, were taken to
Bradford Regional Medical Center for treatment of injuries, police
said. They were released later Friday evening.
Charges are pending against Caldwell upon completion of the
investigation, police said.
Township officers were assisted on the scene by a Erie-based
state police accident reconstruction crew, McKean County District
Attorney John Pavlock, McKean County Detective Gerald Okerlund, the
Bradford Township Volunteer Fire Department and fire police, the
Corydon Township Volunteer Fire Department and Bradford City
Ambulance.
Bradford Area School District Superintendent Sandra Romanowski
explained Sunday afternoon that students affected by the tragedy
are being welcomed at the high school to receive emotional
help.
“We had a counselor at the high school, and the principal was
there (Saturday) afternoon and (Sunday) afternoon in case anyone
needed assistance and wanted to come to the school,” she said.
This morning, students are being notified when they come to
school that there is assistance in place for anyone that needs help
coping with the students’ deaths. Grief counselors will be
available at the school all week.
“We have an emergency plan for something like this, so it will
kick into place,” Romanowski said. “We have a group of
professionals in the school that are trained in case of something
like this.”
Numerous people were seen over the weekend at the crash site,
where some left flowers and other memorials.
