Teen jailed in classmate-killing crash

takunda mavima timothy see krysta howell 052012

Takunda Mavima (left), Timothy See (top right) and Krysta Howell (bottom right.) (May 20, 2012)

2 teens died, 3 others were hurt

Updated: Monday, 21 May 2012, 1:16 AM EDT
Published : Sunday, 20 May 2012, 7:25 AM EDT

By Leon Hendirx

WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) - A 17-year-old boy was booked in the Kent County jail hours after he was involved in a crash that killed two of his Wyoming Park High School classmates.

Takunda Mavima is expected to be charged with operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol causing death on Monday, 24 Hour News 8 has confirmed.

Two Wyoming High School teens died at the scene of the rollover crash on the I-196 off-ramp to Chicago Drive in Wyoming.

Those victims were identified by family members as 15-year-old Krysta Howell and 17-year-old Timothy See.

Three others were injured, including two 18-year-old men and a 16-year old boy. One of those victims remained in the hospital on Sunday evening, but is expected to recover.

Investigators at the scene of the crash said they suspected alcohol was a factor but did not elaborate as to why.

In a Kent County Jail booking photo, Mavima appears to be dressed in hospital clothing and has apparent swelling to part of his face.

Emergency responders struggled to find the crash after the 911 call from one of the vehicle's occupants came in at around 4:18 a.m. Sunday.

The caller did not know where the crash had occurred, telling dispatchers that the scene was near Byron Center Avenue but little else, police said.

The off-ramp where the accident occurred has a sharp curve. Police say the vehicle apparently lost control, rolled and crashed into trees in the wooded area off the road.

Mavima's family members were devastated by the news of the incident. His mother said she had not yet spoken with her son and wanted to contact the victims' families. Mavima was planning to begin college in the fall.

The victims and suspect were all teenagers who lived in the city of Wyoming and attended Wyoming Park High School.

Many of the teens were just a few days shy of their graduation, Wyoming Public Schools superintendent Dr. Thomas Reeder said.

"Kids think they're invincible. We tell them not to drink and drive," said Wyoming Police Capt. Kim Koster. "Most of us have children ourselves and can empathize with the families of these teenagers."

The off-ramp was closed for several hours after the crash as accident reconstructionists and detectives investigated the incident.

A vigil was scheduled for 9 p.m. Sunday night at Wyoming Park High School.

Few details about the victims were released pending notification of their families.

The crash will impact a lot of people, Koster said. "It's a tragic day."

Teen jailed in classmate-killing crash

2 teens died, 3 others were hurt

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Photos:Peter Frampton at Meijer Gardens

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