A candlelight vigil was held last night (Monday) in Cedar Rapids at the spot where a car hit a tree on Sunday night, killing two local teens and seriously injuring a third. Joshua “J.J.” Harris and Cameron Wilson, both 18, were killed. 19-year-old Tyler Dake was in critical condition at University Hospitals in Iowa City.
The boys’ friends are stunned by the incident. Briana Wicher says “I just can’t believe it. It’s not processing in me, I don’t want to believe it,” while Sara Willits says “I don’t think it’s real. I still don’t. I just keep thinking they’re gonna come back and say it’s a joke but its not.”
Tim Lane says he was at the scene of the crash right after it happened and tried to reach Dake. Lane says “I ran around and the window was down a little bit and I kept trying to reach in but I couldn’t get my arm through so I busted out the window and I just kept smacking him telling him to stay awake.” Investigators aren’t sure what caused the crash, according to Cedar Rapids Police Lieutenant Chuck Mincks.
Mincks says “At this point in time, we don’t think there was any weather related to this crash. We don’t have any idea about alcohol or drugs until an autopsy can be performed at some early time in the near future.”