Springfield school reeling from 6 deaths in 15 months

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Along with consoling hugs and comforting words, parents, counselors and officials at a Springfield high school are stressing to students that their youthful feelings of invincibility are unfounded.

They hope the message sticks and ensures that not another student of Hillcrest High School has to die. In the last 15 months, the school has lost six students, four to traffic accidents and two to suicide. "I'm angry because we have to impress upon them safe driving," Principal Julie Leeth said. "I wish we had magic, the silver bullet to take care of these kids. They are risk takers. They don't understand the stakes."

Speeding is blamed for the latest tragedy. Witnesses estimate senior Michael Stokes, 18, was driving his red sports car about 80 mph in a 45 mph zone Thursday afternoon. He was cresting a hill north of Springfield when the car veered into the other lane and struck an oncoming pickup truck head-on.

Sophomore Jennifer Johnson, 16, was riding with Stokes. She and the occupants of the pickup, John and Marlyn Branam, both 57, also died. Adding to the tragedy, one of the Branams' granddaughters is also a student at Hillcrest, Leeth said.

Johnson was "as cute as a bug's ear," Leeth said. Stokes "walked to the beat of a different drum," and was outgoing, known by many students for his sense of humor, said Leeth, who was wearing a small, white ribbon given her by one of the pair's friends.

Counselors were on hand Friday to help students grieve. Others wrote messages for their two classmates on sticky notes and put them on the front door of the school.

The Rev. Ken Gillming, pastor of the Cherry Street Baptist Church, came to the school Friday, hoping he could ease someone's pain.

"One kid told me, 'I didn't want to come to school today and when I got here it was sad, again,'" Gillming said. "Another said, 'I was hoping I could make it through my senior year without losing someone else.'"

Gillming knows how the students feel. His son, Mark, a senior football player who led the team in tackles, was the first tragedy. He was killed in a car crash on his way to church in October 2000.