High school seniors die in crash after graduation rehearsal, Texas district says

Four high school seniors were driving back to school after graduation rehearsal when they were involved in a rollover crash, according to their Texas school district.

Two of the students were killed in the Tuesday, May 31, crash, the Corpus Christi Independent School District said, and two were hurt.

“Our Texan community is devastated by this loss of our graduating seniors,” W.B. Ray High School Principal Roxanne Cuevas said in a statement shared to Facebook. “Our hearts go out to all the loved ones affected by this tragedy.”

The high school seniors killed in the Tuesday morning crash were identified as Matthew Garcia and Marcello Saldua, both 18 years old, according to KRIS. They were leaving practice at American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, about 5 miles north of their school.

The teens were supposed to officially graduate from high school on Friday, June 3.

Garcia and Saldua were “close friends,” according to the Corpus Christi Cronica.

“He was funny and had good vibe,” cousin Faith Galvan said of Saldua, according to the Cronica. “Everyone wanted to be around him. Marcello couldn’t believe he was going to graduate and was about to walk the stage.”

“Matthew Garcia ... was taken from us tragically in a car accident,” aunt MzMari Mariposa wrote on Facebook. “Looking forward to his graduation now we tragically have to bury him.”

The district will have chairs reserved in the victims’ honor during the graduation ceremony as part of a “tradition of honoring deceased students,” according to the news release.

“We want to express our deepest condolences to the families of the two seniors we lost today,” said Superintendent Dr. Roland Hernandez. “We appreciate our community’s prayers for our district during what continues to be an incredibly challenging time for us as well as for educators across the nation.”

The crash is under investigation, the Corpus Christi Caller Times reported, but police believe speeding may have been a factor.

School counselors are available throughout the district to students and staff in need, officials said.

This story was originally published June 1, 2022 at 12:02 PM with the headline "High school seniors die in crash after graduation rehearsal, Texas district says."