Police continue to investigate crash that killed two South Elgin High School students early Thursday

Two South Elgin High School students were killed and two others hurt after a crash near the intersection of Route 25 and Kenyon Road at 7 a.m. Thursday, according to a news release from the village of Bartlett.

According to the release, the crash involved a 2002 Honda Civic that was occupied by four female high school students and a semi-truck. The male driver of semi-truck, the driver of the Civic and one passenger in the Civic suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Another passenger in the Civic was pronounced dead at the scene, and another passenger in the Civic was taken to an area hospital where she died from her injuries.

William Luchsinger, chief at the South Elgin & Countryside Fire Protection District, said rescue workers had to remove the roof of the Honda to extricate the girls from the car.

Luchsinger said many of the first responders were shaken by the scene.

“It’s extremely difficult and tragic for them to have to experience this,” he said. “Our process now is in the healing mode for our first responders, for the students at the high school and the community as a whole.”

The girls’ high school, which is in Elgin Area School District U-46, is located a little less than a mile west of Route 25, along Kenyon.

U-46 Superintendent Suzanne Johnson praised the response from within the district in the aftermath of the crash.

“Thankfully, because we are such a large school district in U-46, we have tremendous resources,” she said. “I cannot say enough about our extensive teams of social workers, guidance counselors, administrators, teachers who have jumped to support South Elgin High School, and to be there to be able to help sub in classes as needed, to fill counseling or grief centers, just to be there to listen and to provide support for students.”

The start of the school year was already disrupted by a fake bomb threat at the high school followed by this tragedy.

“It’s unspeakable, it’s one of those things you hope you never have to go through,” South Elgin Principal Kurt Johansen said. “It’s been a trying week for the students, the staff, the community, the district. It’s been a challenging week.”

The names of the victims have not yet been released.

Route 25 between West Bartlett and Graham roads now is open. Police continue to investigate the crash.

Daily Herald staff writers Rick West, Jake Griffin and Susan Sarkauskas contributed to this report.