Weekend Car Crash Kills Two Dutch Fork High School Students

(Irmo)- Dutch Fork High School is mourning the loss of two students in a weekend car crash on Shady Grove Road in Irmo.Francis Nguyen, 17, of Irmo and Grant Gallagher, 16, of Ballentine died Saturday at Palmetto Health Richland. According to investigators, Nguyen was driving and lost control of the vehicle, crossed into another lane and was struck by an oncoming truck. Gallagher was seated on the passenger’s side. No one inside of the truck was injured."It was the quietest day we've had in a really long time," explained Justin Bristol, a senior at Dutch Fork. "No one is talking. And if they are talking, they're talking about the two students."Lexington-Richland Five School District spokesperson says additional grief counselors were brought in to help students cope with this latest tragedy. Less than two weeks prior, Megan Preston, a Dutch Fork High School senior, died after being struck by a train. Authorities say the 17-year-old was driving under the influence of alcohol. Authorities say Saturday's crash is still under investigation, and it has not been determined whether or not alcohol was involved in accident."Our principal said this morning that he heard people who said they were going to go out and celebrate the two student’s lives by going out and having a drinking party," said Bristol, who is working on an article for the school's newspaper about drinking and driving. "I don't know how many people learned a lesson, if any learned a lesson at all." On Monday, there was a memorial dedicated to Nguyen and Gallagher on the school's gate. It is situated next to a similar memorial for Preston. Gallagher's funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Peter's Catholic Church. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday Dunbar Funeral Home in Irmo. Services for Nguyen have not been finalized.