Brothers Ian and Jalen Brown were remembered at a vigil at Spotsylvania High School on Thursday night, hours after they died in a car crash while on the way to school.
The tributes are continuing on social media with the hashtag #uKNIGHTed
The crash happened at around 7:18 a.m. November 5, near the intersection of Ladysmith Road and County Line Church Road in Caroline County. Eighteen-year-old senior Ian was driving with his 15-year-old sophomore brother Jalen in the passenger seat when their 2003 Jeep Liberty ran off the road to the right and struck two trees.
Both boys died at the scene, reported Virginia State Police Sgt. Steve Vick.. They were wearing seat belts.
The family lives in Ruther Glen, but the boys attended school in Spotsylvania, where their mother teaches.
Virginia State Police Trooper S. R. Page and the Virginia State Police Crash Reconstruction Team are investigating the crash.
Spotsylvania High School is providing grief counselors at the school. Principal Russell Davis sent out the following letter to parents on Thursday:
“Dear Parent/Guardian:It is with much sadness we share that two of our students, died this morning in a car accident. The Spotsylvania High School leadership team is working closely with the counseling staff to address the concerns of our entire educational community as we cope with this loss. As a parent, you may be struggling with how best to answer questions that may arise from this situation.Young adults can respond very differently and their reactions will depend on the relationship that they had with the person who has died, their age and their prior experiences with such incidents.
Your child may:
Appear unaffected
Express feelings of guilt
Be angry or aggressive
Be withdrawn or moody
Be sad or depressed
Become afraid
Have difficulty sleeping or eating
Express suicidal thoughts such as: “I don’t want to live” or “I wish I were dead.”
The best thing that you can do is to listen and to let your child lead the discussion. When they bring the topic up, it is best to answer their questions honestly. Normal household and school routines also help young adults to feel that they are safe and this is reassuring. Additional resources about grief can be found by clicking the link “Dealing with Grief & Loss” under “Site Shortcuts” on the Division’s website www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us.Our thoughts are with the family during this very difficult time.
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