MARYSVILLE — The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal crash reported at 2:19 p.m. on Oct. 24 in the 8100 block of 108th Street NE in unincorporated Marysville.
A Honda Civic was headed west of Highway 9 on 108th Street NE when the driver lost control and the car struck a tree. The driver, a 16-year-old male student of the Bio-Med Academy at Marysville Getchell High School, was pronounced dead at the scene. Two passengers, 16 and 17-year-old male students of the Bio-Med Academy and the School for the Entrepreneur at Marysville Getchell High School, were airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Lars Kundu, the son of former Marysville School Board member Michael Kundu, was critically injured, while Andy Vavrousek, whose mother teaches for the school district, suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
“The passenger in critical condition is still in critical condition at Harborview, but we’re hopeful he’s going to recover,” said Rebecca Hover, director of communications for the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, on Oct. 25. “The passenger who was seriously injured suffered a facial fracture and might be released from Harborview today.”
All three teens are long‐time Marysville School District students and the vehicle is registered out of Marysville. Details of the accident are still being investigated by local law enforcement personnel, but speed is believed to be a factor in the crash.
Jodi Runyon, executive assistant to the superintendent of the Marysville School District, explained that a crisis team of counselors would be available on Oct. 25 at the Marysville Getchell and Marysville-Pilchuck high school campuses to assist students and staff, and will remain through the week as long as they are needed.
“Out of respect for the families of these students, we are not releasing any additional information at this time,” Runyon said. “All of us in the Marysville School District extend our deepest and heartfelt sympathy to the family of the student killed in the accident. Our thoughts are also with the families of the two students injured in the crash as they go through grieving the loss of a son’s friend and the healing process for their own children.”
Wendy Messarina, the ELL Spanish/multilingual parent community liaison for the Marysville School District, called upon the community to help the family of Juan Mendoza, the student who died, since they need financial support. A memorial fund has been set up at HomeStreet Bank and is accepting cash and checks for the time being.
“You can either stop by the bank, at 1238 State Ave., or mark an envelope for the ‘Juan Mendoza Memorial Fund’ and drop it in the night-drop,” said Messarina, who added that the account number is 536-922-1111. “There will be a day at Marysville Getchell High School to pay tribute to Juan.”
Video courtesy of Bill Gillam.
