LANHAM, Md. — Five DuVal High School students were involved in a serious vehicle crash in Prince George's County, authorities say. None of the students were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.
The crash happened around 11:52 a.m. in the 9800 block of Good Luck Road in Lanham.
Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, Prince George's County police Chief Hank Stawinski and Prince George’s County Public Schools CEO, Dr. Monica Goldson addressed the accident in a press conference.
The students were driving back to the high school when a car exiting a driveway hit them, causing their vehicle to spin and hit a third car head-on, Stawinski said.
Three of the five students were transported to a local hospital in critical condition. “We are guardedly optimistic that all three of these young lives will continue. We have them in the best hands medically," said Stawinski.
Investigators said the two students in the front of the car were not seriously injured due to airbags deploying.
The people inside the other two vehicles were not seriously injured, according to Stawinski.
Dr. Monica Goldson said the school's administrative staff reported to scene of the crash and checked up on the students at the hospital. Goldson said her staff created a letter to parents addressing the incident in addition to providing counselors at the school to support to students.
“I do want to extend our heartfelt prayers to all of the families involved in the accident,” Goldson said. “I have a teenage driver so I can empathize with what those parents of the students involved in the accident could be experiencing or thinking about because it went through my heart. We have 134,000 students and I feel like every last one of them are mine. “
“It’s important that our students drive safely, that they comply with the rules we have established and know that daily attendance in school and students remaining in school at all times is extremely important,” Goldson explained.
County Executive Alsobrooks addressed driving safety in the county noting that there were 13 traffic fatalities in the county over the winter.
“This was a scary afternoon for all of us to race here out of care and concern for the students who were involved in the tragic accident this afternoon," Alsobrooks said. "The truth of the matter is we really have had far too many afternoons like this one ”
“It takes two seconds to put on a seatbelt… we really cannot afford another tragedy," Alsobrooks said.
Police have not yet released the identities of the students or drivers involved in the accident.
It is not clear why the students left the school.
This is a developing story.