Two 19-year-old girls, sisters in a set of triplets, were killed in a serious collision on Highway 63 south of Fort McMurray over the weekend.
Friends have identified the girls as Zara and Bridget Chambers. The girls were both students and athletes at Fort McMurray’s Keyano College, part of the Huskies soccer team. They were originally from Rocky Mountain House, Alta.
“It hit our community really hard, especially with living in a small town, just because everyone knows each other,” said Brooklyn Hall, who went to high school with the girls.
“Their personalities made them such incredible girls, and their happiness and complete love for life is how they’re going to be remembered,” added Kyler Robinson, who also went to high school in Rocky Mountain House with the sisters.
Hall said anyone who knew Zara and Bridget “knew that they were special.”
“The girls were super bubbly. They were kind and they were probably the nicest people we’d ever met,” she said.
“They lit up the room and they made everyone feel super happy and they were very positive. Their laughs definitely were contagious and their smiles were unforgettable.”
The crash happened at around 10:30 a.m. Saturday, about 95 kilometres south of Fort McMurray.
RCMP said a car carrying the teens was heading south on Highway 63 when it drove into the back of a flatbed tow truck, which was stopped at the time.
The 19-year-old driving the car was pronounced dead at the scene. The 19-year-old passenger was taken to an Edmonton-area hospital by helicopter with life-threatening injuries. She was later pronounced dead in hospital.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic event and our thoughts and sympathies are with their family and friends,” read a statement from Keyano College on Tuesday.
The college’s mental health team has been brought in to provide trauma counselling and mental-health resources to anyone who wants it.
“We will do whatever we can to support our students, faculty and staff during this difficult time.”
READ MORE: Serious crash closes portion of Highway 63 south of Edmonton
Police said they are still investigating the cause of the crash, but added that road conditions at the time were slippery, with slush and ice.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends, and all of the people who have been impacted by this tragedy,” RCMP said in a media release Tuesday.
A candlelight vigil in memory of the girls has been planned for Thursday night at the Co-op Football Field soccer pitch in Rocky Mountain House.
Hall, Robinson and Bailey Eklund, who all went to high school with Zara and Bridget, are planning the vigil.
“It’s an evening where people will have an opportunity to bring notes, pictures, keepsakes, sports jerseys and other things they have that remind them of the girls,” Eklund said.
“We’re inviting the whole community to come together and celebrate their lives in a special way.”
Wood Buffalo Victim Services has also offered assistance to the family and friends of the victims, and to witnesses of the collision. Anyone who requires the services is asked to call 1-780-788-4250.
On Wednesday, a spokesperson at the University of Calgary confirmed the third sister, Grace Chambers, is a student there. The university declined further comment.
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