3rd Teen in Drivers-Ed Car Crash Dies at Westchester Medical Center

A third 16-year-old Goshen resident has died from injuries sustained in a Tuesday morning accident during a group driving lesson.

There were four teens and an adult in the Decat Driving School car at County Route 1 and Union Corners Road in Warwick when it collided with a tractor-trailer.

News that Lucas O’Connor had died Wednesday at Westchester Medical Center came just hours before a candlelight vigil for Antonio Baglivo and Paul VanDoran, the two who died Tuesday.

All three were Goshen Central High School students, as was the driver at the time, Claudia Krebs. She was released from Westchester Medical Center Wednesday, according to recordonline.com. They were participating in the district’s summer Driver’s Ed program.

Read more from the Times Herald-Record.

The school superintendent posted this letter on the Goshen Central School District website:

Dear Goshen community,

It is with profound sadness that I write this letter to the Goshen community. I am brokenhearted to report that Lucas O’Connor has succumbed to his injuries. He was involved in the tragic automobile accident in Warwick on July 14.

The district will continue to offer counseling and bereavement support services to all students and staff at the Goshen High School. This is an extremely difficult time for the Goshen community to process the tragic news from the past few days, so please reach out for assistance if you need help coping with your grief. We will continue to have these services available for as long as necessary.

It is important to communicate with your children about their feelings during this difficult time. Parents and guardians may contact school counselors as well as the following resources if they need advice about how to speak with their children:

• Orange County Helpline: 1-800-832-1200

• Mobile Mental Health Team: 1-888-750-2266

• Orange County Department of Mental Health: 845-291-2600

Words can’t describe the loss our community has endured, but I believe in my heart that the Goshen community will find a way to make it through this tragedy together. Again, our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the students involved in this tragedy.

Sincerely,

Daniel Connor

Superintendent

Orange County’s Mental Health Association HELPLINE (1-800-832-1200/845-346-HELP) is toll-free and available 24-hours a day. It provides crisis intervention, information and referrals seven days a week for all county residents, said Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus. The Mobile Mental Health Team is also accessible 24 hours a day and can be reached toll-free at 1-888-750-2266.