4 Lives Taken Too Soon: A Town Grieves

STOUGHTON, MA — May 19 was a normal day for Chris Desir, Eryck Sarblah, Nick Joyce, and David Bell. A day of games was supposed to be followed by a dinner on the eve of Hockomock League Track and Field Championship meet in Canton. But they never made it to the meet, nor did they make it to dinner. They only made it as far as an East Bridgewater side street, where their car crashed.

The call came in late Saturday afternoon for a report of a serious crash on West Street. When police and fire officials arrived at the scene, they found a mangled car flipped over. Three of the teens were pronounced dead at the scene and one died at Brockton Hospital. A fifth teen, who Stoughton Patch is not identifying, survived with serious injuries.

Word got around by that evening that the victims were Stoughton High School Students. The next day, Superintendent Marguerite Rizzi said the crash would impact the whole school.

"This is a devastating occasion for any community, any school. Stoughton is a special place, the people are warm, they are incredibly down to the earth decent. They support each other, they step up when necessary," Rizzi said.

Mourning began immediately for the community. Stoughton High opened with councilors from the school district and other area schools. About 24 hours after the crash, teary eyes filled the auditorium at Grace Church in Avon while family, classmates, and friends mourned. Many of their friends sat in the front few rows of the auditorium. Several wore their Stoughton High jerseys in support of their teammates and friends.

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• Area Schools Mourn Stoughton's Loss
• Friends, Family Mourn Stoughton High Victims
• WATCH: Celtics Hold Moment Of Silence For Stoughton Teens
• Stoughton Community Comes Together To Make Ribbons For Families
• Stoughton Community Hangs Ribbons Around Town To Honor Students
• The Region Mourns With Stoughton
• Obits: Christopher Desir, Nick Joyce, David Bell, Eryck Sarblah
• First Of Four Stoughton HS Teens Killed In Crash Laid To Rest

Amanda Barucci, Bell's girlfriend of four years, said her and their friends remembered David for his outgoing personality, referring to him as the "class clown."

Barucci said, "He was amazing. He always put a smile on someone's face."

There were too many good memories to say which was her favorite, she said, but meeting him for the first time stands out. "We met in history class," said Barucci. "He would always yell at me for being late."

Taleau Gandy was friends with all the victims. She said she appreciated what the service tried to do.

"They tried, but it's going to take a while to grieve my friends," Gandy said. "They were close to me."
A second service was held the following Monday at St. James Church in Stoughton.

About 500 people attended that service, based on estimates. According to Pastor Joseph Mazzone, the students did that by being the ones who organized most of the private service's itinerary. He said the children picked all the readings and music.

Lilia Elkins, a student at Oliver Ames High School in Easton, was at the service passing out black and orange ribbons. She knew Bell from working at the YMCA.

"It was very beautiful, very heart-warming," she said. "There was a young woman who was singing and it brought me to tears."

When a child dies, it's not just their friends and family members who mourn, the sadness extends to the town, across the school system, and even the area. The death of the four students saw an outpouring of support across town and from nearby communities. A group led by Linda Rinaldi held a ribbon-making event at the Stoughton VFW. The ribbons were hung up at the victims' families' houses, in town center, at the high school, and various locations around Stoughton.

Prior to game 5 of the Eastern Conference Championship at the TD Garden. The Boston Celtics held a moment of silence for the teens, a moment that was made possible thanks to a text from a Stoughton Public School teachers to the son of team co-owner Steve Pagliuga, who he used to coach in basketball.

At Canton High School, the rivalry with the Stoughton Black Knights were set aside with a moment of silence prior to the Hockomock League Track and Field Championship Meet. Afterwards, Canton students could be seen in the school making signs of support and crafting plans to wear orange and black - the Stoughton High School colors.

Nearby school districts also expressed words of support, including a moment of silence prior the May 21 Foxborough School Committee meeting and a payer banner at Bishop Feehan High School of Attleboro.

The grieving process is far from over in Stoughton. Bell was laid to rest Friday with funerals for the other three scheduled for this week. Following the crash, Rizzi said that grief councilor will be available for anyone in the weeks and months ahead, as long as necessary.

By Dan Libon and James Bentley, Patch Staff

Image Credit: James Bentley