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Community Mourns Crash Victims

CHESTNUT TOWNSHIP — A community is mourning one day after state police say four children and one woman died in a crash in Monroe County. Newswatch 16 spok...

CHESTNUT TOWNSHIP -- A community is mourning one day after state police say four children and one woman died in a crash in Monroe County. Newswatch 16 spoke with friends of the victims and neighbors who stopped by the crash site today. The Monroe County Coronor confirmed all four children in the crash were related, and that the youngest child was only five years old. Today we found several friends of the victims outside the family's home near Blakeslee and at the crash site sharing stories and grieving together.

Neighbors put flowers on the side of route 115 in Chestnuthill Township, where state police say, 23 year old Destini Watson lost control of her SUV and crashed. Four children were in the vehicle with Watson and were killed. Another passenger in the SUV was taken to the hospital for injuries along with two others who were in separate cars in the crash.

"This hit pretty close to home and when something like that happens it's a real eye-opener," said Shaun Mirala.

State police say Watson was driving too fast on route 115 near effort when she tried to pass another vehicle, near the intersection in a no-passing zone. The SUV hit two other vehicles and flipped. State police say none of the children were wearing seatbelts.

"No matter what happened, nobody deserves to die that way it's just very sad," said Anna Samsel from Blakeslee.

"He was close to us, so just came to pay our respects," said Susan Vincente from Blakeslee.

14 year old Susan Vincente met about fifteen other friends in front of this home where she says the victims lived, it’s ust up the road from the deadly crash.

"Just talking about memories we had with him,” said Carmen Vincente from Blakeslee.

No one was home, but flowers were on the front porch. Vincente says her friend was one of the children who died in the wreck.

"What will you miss about him, "Everything," said Vincente.

"I think it's a tragedy. I mean all the kids at once,” said Lucy Boomer from Blakeslee.

Friends of the family came to the victim's home, they tell Newswatch 16, Watson was related to all four children, and one of them was her daughter.

"I used to see the boys all the time out playing basketball, riding up and down on their bikes," said Boomer.

"To lose a baby, to lose a child, to lose children it's horrifying and I'm really really really sorry,” said Doreen Palmer from Effort.

State police say all together there were six people in the SUV when it crashed. Five people died, four of them were children. The only surviving passenger was taken to the hospital. No word on her condition tonight. Newswatch 16 did reach out to Pocono Mountain West School District, where friends say the children went to school. The school says it cannot release any information until, state police release the victims' names

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