Family mourns teen girl killed in crash - News - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2015-08-22

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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation  |  Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED   » NEWS NOW   Lewiston Dam releases water to help Klamath salmon       ...       New northeastern Oregon fire destroys 3 homes       ...       Crews continue burnout efforts on National Creek Complex fire       ...       Lewiston Dam releases water to help Klamath salmon       ...       New northeastern Oregon fire destroys 3 homes       ...       Crews continue burnout efforts on National Creek Complex fire       ...           GRANTS PASS Family mourns teen girl killed in crash Five others injured in Saturday-night accident Comment By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Aug. 18, 2015 at 5:18 PM By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Aug. 18, 2015 at 5:18 PM »  Social News Family members and friends are mourning the death of a 15-year-old Grants Pass girl who was killed in a horrific crash on Gunnell Road near Matson County Park Saturday night that also seriously injured several other teens and the 22-year-old driver. Authorities have not released the names of the teenagers or even confirmed a fatality, but family members identified the girl who died as Aryen Chambers. Her mother Terri Puckett said late Monday afternoon that her daughter's organs are being donated. Aryen's former stepfather, Dameon Pool, who remained close to her after he and her mother separated, said she loved playing soccer, snowboarding and outdoor activities, and dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. This coming weekend, he was going to help her hone her driving skills in preparation for getting her license. "She was just at the wrong place at the wrong time," he said. The Daily Courier ran a photo of Aryen and Pool participating in the Back to the '50s poker run in 2010. Aryen's name was also in the paper in 2012 when she was on the honor roll at North Middle School. Her Facebook profile states that she had worked at Dutch Bros. and studied art at Grants Pass High School. A "Go Fund Me" page has been set up to help Aryen's family cover her funeral expenses. As of Tuesday morning, 27 people had donated a total of more than $1,600. A prayer circle was held at Riverside Park Sunday by friends of the victims. The 1999 Isuzu SUV that crashed Saturday night was being driven by 22-year-old Breanna Allene White. Aryen and four other teenage girls — two 16-year-olds, a 17-year-old and a 13-year-old — were passengers in the car. As of Tuesday morning, White and one of the teen girls were being treated at Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Eugene. White is in serious condition and the teen is in fair condition. Another girl remained in critical condition at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. Friends said some of the girls are North Valley High School students. Principal Dennis Misener said school administrators are getting only secondhand information, but that at least two of the girls in the crash are students at the school. Oregon State Police said the Isuzu was traveling on Gunnell Road about a mile west of Lower River Road when it drifted off the road's shoulder and rolled several times, ejecting several occupants before striking a large pine tree. When emergency crews arrived at the scene, they found the occupants scattered around the crash site. "Some of them were in the road, some of them were over the embankment," Rural/Metro Fire Division Chief Austin Prince said. One girl was trapped inside the car, which had landed upside-down. Five ambulances responded to the scene, along with a Mercy Flights helicopter that airlifted one person to RRMC in Medford. Two others were taken to that same hospital by ground ambulance, and the three remaining girls were transported to Three Rivers Medical Center. Prince said the extent of their injuries varied, and it appears one of the car's occupants was able to call 911 after the crash. The crash was the third incident involving White that made headlines, including a "mailbox baseball" incident last October in which a 16-year-old boy was seriously injured. In that incident, authorities said White was driving a car full of friends, at least one of whom was smashing mailboxes with a baseball bat. The vandalism took a dark turn when a woman in the front passenger seat lost her grip on the bat and it flew backward, hitting a 16-year-old boy in the backseat in the head and badly injuring him. In April, White was sentenced to 10 days in jail after pleading guilty to hindering prosecution, second-degree criminal mischief and reckless endangerment in that case. At that time she also received a suspended 10-day jail sentence for a July 15, 2014, DUII incident, in which she was intoxicated and speeding through the parking lot at Riverside Park during a "Concerts in the Park" event. She was also convicted of disorderly conduct in March for participating in a violent confrontation during a downtown "First Friday" event Sept. 5, 2014, in which a man was kicked and punched by a group of people outside the Dutch Bros. coffeehouse at Sixth and D streets. Although police have not confirmed that Saturday's fatal crash was alcohol-related, a local mother has taken it upon herself to offer free rides to local teens who might otherwise get into a car with a drunken driver. Iris McFarland, of Merlin, started a Facebook page called "A free, safe ride home." Her phone number is at the top of the page, and others who support her cause have posted their own phone numbers in the comment section. "My daughter is best friends with one of the girls that was in the accident," McFarland said. McFarland said she doesn't condone teen drinking, but said young people should have options for a safe way to get home if they end up in a potential DUII situation. She's trying to vet and organize the volunteers who have come forward so far but notes that it's all still in the planning stages. She's holding a fundraising carwash outside the Abby's Pizza on Northeast Beacon Drive this Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Half the money raised will go toward her "free rides" program and the other half will go to the victims' families. Reach reporter Melissa McRobbie at 541-474-3806 or [email protected] By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Melissa McRobbie Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Aug. 18, 2015 at 5:18 PM » Comment or view comments   Reader Reaction »  STAY INFORMED   Email NewsLetter   Sign Up Today   Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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