Late-night joy ride turns into fatal tragedy
Sixteen-year-old Sarah A. Gillette, who died, was riding in the cargo area of the SUV and was not wearing a seat belt when the car went out of control in the 6200 block of Tolo Road.
According to police, Gillette, five boys and two 14-year-old girls were in the Explorer they had "borrowed" without permission from one of the 14-year-olds' parents.
The other 14-year-old girl was driving, police said, on a dangerous stretch of road at 1:48 a.m.
Police said alcohol was not a factor in the crash.
According to KOMO-TV, the crash occurred after the driver tried to "jump" a dip in the road.
"The road was damp ... and it's a very hilly road, very narrow, with no shoulders," said Bainbridge Island Traffic Officer Rob Corn.
Four boys were taken to Harborview Medical Center where they were listed in critical condition, Corn said.
The three other survivors, including the driver, were treated at Harrison Memorial Hospital and released.
It was the second fatal accident involving a Bainbridge teenager in three days. Rebecca M. Phillips died Friday morning after a car she was driving struck a tree off North Madison Avenue.
Every year there's at least one fatal car accident involving teens that serves as a sort of wake-up call and a challenge to parents and the community, said Sally Metcalf, a friend of one of the deceased girls.
Bainbridge residents turned out yesterday for the first of two vigils — one for Gillette and later one for Phillips, 19.
On this island with a population of just over 20,000, such tragedies are personal and deeply felt.
"Nearly everybody knows at least one of those kids," said 16-year-old Callan Cobb, who was at Gillette's vigil.
All day yesterday, parents and kids stopped by the places marked with paint on Tolo Road and North Madison Avenue to bring flowers and to grieve.
"From what I hear, they were all good kids, amazing kids," said Michele Weisner, whose 14-year-old son knew the teens involved in yesterday's accident.
"I'm very lucky my son wasn't in that car. Kids hang in groups. He could have been."
Another mother, Robin Nigash, brought a huge bouquet and her two elementary-school-aged children.
"I want them to know that it's important to pay attention when driving," she said.
Gillette, a junior at Bainbridge Island High School, had several sisters, including a twin, who was not in the car. She was described as warm-hearted, funny and kind.
"She's just a really nice girl," Cobb said.
The King County Medical Examiner attributed Phillips' accident partly to alcohol intoxication. Phillips was remembered for her smile, her love of Skittles and her dance skills.
The children of a dance teacher, Phillips and her brother were an amazing match, Metcalf said.
"They were fabulous dancers, outstanding. It was thrilling to watch them.
"This is a chance for us to ask ourselves how we can support our young people so they can live the lives they were meant to live," Metcalf said.
Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com