Birdville Students to be Laid to Rest

Monday morning, counselors will be on hand at Birdville High School to help grieving classmates cope with a deadly car crash that claimed the lives of two students over the weekend.

Abigail "Abbey" Key, 15, and Chance Clifton, 17, both students at Birdville High School, were killed in the crash. Colby Wade, 18, who was driving the Jeep suffered critical injuries in the accident. Colby Wade remains at University of Oklahoma Medical Center. A fourth passenger, Caleb Wade, 17, was treated and released at a hospital in Weatherford, Okla.

The crash occurred after a tractor-trailer rig's dual wheels broke from the rig and crashed into the Jeep carrying the teenagers in western Oklahoma on Friday evening.

Counselors will be at the high school until noon on Monday to talk with any teens who need help dealing with the tragedy.

Funeral services will be held for Key at Lucas Funeral Home in Hurst at 1 p.m. Monday.

Loved ones will pay tribute to Clifton at 11 a.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church of Colleyville.

Friends Devastated by Tragic Loss

On Saturday, friends of the four teenagers spoke to NBC 5 about the tragic loss. Chance Clifton was the starting cornerback for the football team and his former teammates were devastated by the loss.

"He was a corner, I was a linebacker," said teammate Sam Gooch. "Me and Chance, we was like brothers, like a bond between us like no other."

"He was a great kid and even if you weren’t the kind of person that smiled a whole lot, he’d make you smile no matter what," said Dra Stevenson, another former teammate. "He would put a grin on your face."

Colby Wade was also on the football team, but friends were more focused on the young man's growing family.

"Colby, that one really got to me, because he has a kid," said Brenden Sutton, a former defensive team captain. "No kid needs to be without his dad, his father. I’m so thankful that all of our prayers are answered, he’s alive and doing better."

The parents of Colby and Caleb Wade were in a vehicle in front of the Jeep that was hit by the loose tires in the accident. Friends said they watched the whole thing happen in their rear-view mirrors.

At the vigil on Saturday, several of Abigail (also known as Abbey) Key's friends spoke of a young teen who was incredibly smart and always willing to go out and do something with her friends.

"There's like no way to describe her, she's like her own person," said Kendall Simmons.

The group of girls said they'd miss her laugh the most. They were glad to see so many people out to mourn their friend.

"I have never been in a school with so much support, like everyone loves Abbey so much," Sarah Lucas said.

The driver of the semi was not injured.

Birdville ISD released the following statement Saturday:

Birdville ISD and the Birdville High School community are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of two of our students in the accident Friday evening in Oklahoma. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families, and to the families of the two BHS students who were also injured in the accident.

NBC 5's Kendra Lyn, Chris Van Horne, and Elvira Sakmari contributed to this report.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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