5:45PM GMT 16 Nov 2014
They were best friends who loved spending time together and had just celebrated their end-of-year prom.
But Megan Storey and Jordanna Goodwin’s lives were cut brutally short on Saturday when they were killed alongside three other friends in a horrific car crash.
Megan and Jordanna, both 16, and exemplary students, died in hospital just hours after the car they were travelling in smashed into another vehicle on a country road outside Doncaster, South Yorkshire, at 9.40pm.
The girls’ friends, Blake Cairns, also 16, Bartosz Bortniczak, and Arpad Kore, both 18, also died.
The girls, Blake and Arpad were all sixth formers at high-achieving Danum Academy in Doncaster which opened its doors unexpectedly on Sunday so students could grieve.
Headteacher Rebecca Staples said a book of remembrance would be opened on Monday and counsellors would be on hand to help pupils and staff.
She said the pupils’ sudden deaths – Bartosz, known as Bartek, was a former pupil – would have a huge impact on the school.
Remembering the pupils, she said: “Blake was great fun.
“He had a real presence; a lovely cheeky boy who had great relationships with staff.
“Jordanna never missed a single day of school from primary to the end of Year 11 and had received a special reward from the local authority.
“She was our prom queen this year, and looked so beautiful on the evening.
“Megan was a really bubbly young woman. She was totally reliable for all her friends and truly loyal.
“She was a very caring mature young woman who was a joy to be with. She too looked stunning at our prom.
“Bartek had kept close ties with his school friends since leaving. He was a member of our football teams. He was a down-to-earth soul.”
Just days ago Megan wrote on Twitter: “Don’t count the days, make the days count.”
Beneath a picture of her and Jordanna, she wrote: “I'd be lost without this girl” while Jordanna said she “loved spending time with Meg.”
John Gaskin, a friend of Arpad, told The Daily Telegraph: “He was so caring and loving yet so likeable and down to earth.
“He was an extremely talented boxer and footballer. He was one of my closest friends.”
People lay flowers at the scene of the crash in Connisbrough south Yorkshire (Ross Parry)
The five were in a Toyota Corolla which was travelling behind a Vauxhall Corsa when it lost control and swerved into the path of a Seat Leon travelling in the opposite direction.
The driver of the Seat Leon, a 45-year-old man on his way to work, suffered a broken leg, while the driver of the Corsa, a 21-year-old colleague of the driver of the Corolla – one of the 18-year-olds who has died, was unharmed.
He remained at the scene of the crash and was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and released on bail.
Police said the arrested man had a full driving licence and was not over the drink drive limit at the time of the crash.
Inspector Pete Serhatluc said the crash happened as the group left McDonalds and travelled along the 60mph A630 from Doncaster towards Conisbrough, where it becomes a 40mph road.
He added: "Our investigation will look into the speed these cars were travelling at.
"Police are investigating the manner of driving of the Toyota.”
He confirmed that there was "drifting fog" affecting visibility on the evening and the road surface was wet.
Local residents told how the A630 is known locally as The Drag because of drivers racing in the past.
Just metres from the crash scene Michael Gallagher, 16, Tom Hughes, 15, and Antonia Brown, 14, died in a crash in 2011.
A passer-by, who did not wish to be named, said: "The area round here is known as the drag because of all the drag racing that used to go on around here.”
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