As authorities continue to investigate a crash that killed four teenage girls in Woodacre, the family of a survivor has offered the first public account of the travesty.
Marley Barclay, 14, of Fairfax was one of the passengers in the vehicle that struck a tree Friday evening along San Geronimo Valley Road. The driver and five passengers were classmates at Archie Williams High School in San Anselmo.
In a statement released through a public relations specialist on Monday, the girl’s parents said that “wild speculation, rumor and conjecture is merely exacerbating what is already an excruciating process for all involved.”
“What we can share at this time is that Marley left our home at 6:50 p.m. to walk to downtown Fairfax,” the statement by Jessica Glantz and Ross Barclay says. “There she met with the driver of the vehicle who was getting off work at approximately 7:15 p.m. They, along with the four other girls, left heading towards Woodacre shortly thereafter — all wearing seatbelts.”
The vehicle hit the tree at about 7:30 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. Three girls were pronounced dead at the crash site; one died at a hospital; and Marley and the driver, critically injured, were taken to hospitals outside the county for advanced care.
The girls who died were Olive Koren, who was in ninth grade, and 10th-graders Sienna Katz, Ada Kepley and Josalynn Osborn, according to the Tamalpais Union High School District.
The driver was Elsa Laremont Stranczek, 16, who is in 10th grade. She and Marley remained hospitalized Monday.
“Our hearts are with the families of the four beautiful young souls lost far too soon,” Marley’s parents said. “There are no words for the sorrow we share. We grieve beside you and hold you close in our thoughts every moment.”
The California Highway Patrol investigation continued Monday. No details were available about the cause of the crash, the speed of the impact or whether another vehicle was involved.
Licensing is an aspect of the investigation. Under state law, a driver who is under 20 years old and who has been licensed less than a year cannot transport passengers unless accompanied by a licensed parent or guardian, a driver at least 25 years old or a certified driving instructor.
At Archie Williams High School, students returned to classes Monday for the first time since the crash.
“This is a time of immense pain for our school and district family,” Tara Taupier, the superintendent of the school district, said in a statement Sunday. “Counseling and grief support services are available this week and in the weeks ahead for all students and staff across Tam District schools.”
Meanwhile, community supporters have started to raise money online to help the girls’ families. Alex White, a spokesperson for the GoFundMe fundraising platform, said organizers have launched sites at shorturl.at/S78KW for Olive’s family; shorturl.at/WZn8k for Ada’s; shorturl.at/YPOon for Josalynn’s; and shorturl.at/8xuKh for Marley’s.
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