The final two victims of a fiery triple-fatality crash in Katy last Sunday morning have been identified as a pair of recent graduates of Cinco Ranch High School.
Authorities confirmed Timothy Laufenberg, 18, and Jonathan Fernandez, 19, died along with Morton Ranch High School sophomore cheerleader Taylor Contreras, 16, when the pickup they were riding ran off the roadway, hit a tree and burst into flames.
Contreras had been previously identified as one of the victims when fellow Morton Ranch students established a Facebook page in her memory.
One Cinco Ranch student, who asked his name not be used, said he knew both Laufenberg and Fernandez and both were “really good guys.”
“I knew Tim better than Jonathan because we had some classes together. Both were really cool guys, always joking around and having a good time,” the student said. “It’s really hard to believe all this happened. I just talked to Tim last week.”
The student said he did not know how many, if any, students had spoken to school counselors, but a lot of students were consoling one another.
“Word got out on Monday; just about everybody at school knew who it was. It was really quiet around here,” he said. “Everybody was real down about it, talking in little groups about what the wreck. I think everybody was just finding it hard to understand.”
On Monday, Katy ISD spokesman Steven Stanford confirmed counselors were on hand at both Cinco Ranch and Morton Ranch high schools after information surfaced that students from the two schools were involved in the crash.
Police said poor weather and excessive speed are the likely causes of the crash. The accident occurred about 6:45 a.m. Sunday morning in the 2900 block of Katy-Hockley Road near Morton Road. At the time of the accident, roads were slick and dense fog covered much of the area.
Preliminary investigation showed the Ford pickup truck slid off the roadway in a curve, ran into a residential yard, struck a pine tree head-on and caught fire.
Police said they believe the truck was exceeding the posted 30 mph speed limit.
All three occupants were believed to have been killed instantly.
By: John Pape on Wed, Dec 16, 2009
News