Four northeastern Indiana high school students returning from a spring break trip and another man have been killed in a three-vehicle crash in Alabama.
Cpl. Steve Smith with the Alabama State Troopers said the four teens were Matthew Riley Zimmer, Evan Weaver, Matthew Roe and Alexx Bauer. The 18-year-olds were from Angola, Ind., a small community near the Ohio and Michigan state lines.
Niall McNellis, 21, of Troy, Ala., also died in the crash about 3 p.m. Saturday.
An initial investigation indicated McNellis was driving south on Interstate 65 just south of Clanton, Ala., when his vehicle crossed the median and hit the car driven by Zimmer head-on as the teens drove north, Smith said.
Bauer and Zimmer played for the Angola High School football team, and a message on the team's website said the members "thoughts and prayers" were with all the students' families.
"We will never forget you," the message read.
Head coach Luke Amstutz said the four were "wonderful kids."
Principal Steve Grill told The News-Sun of Kendallville, Ind., that a crisis team was meeting Sunday afternoon to make plans for how to deal with the deaths when classes resume Monday.
"It's a lightning strike out of the blue. It's going to be devastating to a lot of people," Grill said.
Smith said several people in a third car suffered minor injuries.
It was unclear whether bad weather that passed through the area contributed to the wreck.
