High school football star, killed with three friends in crash hours before graduation

A Cleveland-area town is in mouing after three teens were killed in a car wreck Sunday, hours before their high school's graduation ceremony.

A fourth teen died from his injuries Monday, his family said, while a fifth was at a hospital. Her condition was not known.

The five Brunswick High students were riding in a 2001 Chevy Cavalier sometime after midnight when driver Jeffrey Chaya, 18, lost control after speeding over some railroad tracks, authorities told the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

The car went airboe, landed hard and swerved back and forth before crashing into a tree and flipping over, police said.

Chaya, a senior, Blake Bartchak, 17, and Lexi Poeer, 16, were killed in the wreck.

Kevin Fox, an 18-year-old senior, was flown to Metro Health Medical Center, where he died on Monday, his family told the Associated Press.

Julia Romita, 17, a junior, was seriously injured and taken to Southwest General hospital, the Plain Dealer reported.

Her condition wasn't released.

Chaya and Fox were set to graduate from Brunswick High in a ceremony at the University of Akron on Sunday afteoon.

Instead, their empty seats were covered with flowers left by their grieving classmates.

"It was very sad," Superintendent Michael Mayell told the Associated Press after the event. "There were a lot of tears."

Senior Kristyn Matey told the Plain Dealer, "It was horrible. It was hard to look at my classmates and see them so upset on their graduation."

Classmates said all five students were popular and well-respected by teachers and fellow students.

Chaya and Bartchak were close pals since fourth grade and played on Brunswick's football team together.

“Jeff was always smiling; that kid just loved living," senior Colin Valencic told the Plain Dealer. "Coaches loved him, everybody loved him."

On Sunday night, hundreds gathered to remember the teens at a pair of emotional memorial services held in a local church and a performing arts center.

The school said guidance counselors would be made available to students.

“We want to allow the families to grieve in peace, and do whatever we can to get through this very tragic situation," Mayell told the Associated Press.

Police said the car the group was riding in was speeding, though they were still investigating the cause of the crash.