Three students who attended Mountain View Elementary School were killed along with their mother in a traffic accident on Thursday, according to information shared with the East Cobb school community.
The students were Chase, Aaniyah and A.J. Standberry and their mother was Chelsea Standberry, according to a message sent Friday morning by Principal Renee Garriss.
“They touched the lives of many students, parents and staff members,” Garriss said. “Their passing is a terrible loss to all of us.”
News reports in Beaumont, Texas said the family was traveling in a vehicle on Interstate 10 early Thursday morning when it got involved in a multi-vehicle accident that included an 18-wheeler. Some of the vehicles caught fire.
Shaundrea Woodard of Houston, Chelsea Standberry’s cousin and who is organizing a fundraising drive to help pay for funeral expenses, said three others in the car survived, including Chelsea Standberry’s husband Anthony Standberry Sr. and mother-in-law.
Mountain View staff said when contacted by East Cobb News that they could not provide more information and referred questions to the Cobb County School District.
A district spokeswoman said she “could not confirm specifics” related to students in the district. All she would say is the following:
“Our counselors and crisis response team are all well-trained to help those suffering through grief, and we offer various tools and services in addition to in-school counseling.”
Cobb schools are out next week for a scheduled fall break. Garriss said in her message that when classes resume Oct. 1, extra counselors from the district will be available at the Mountain View campus.
“During this time of loss, we are reminded of the importance of the simple acts of sharing kindness with one another each day,” Garriss said. “In tribute to their memory, I hope to see an abundance of such acts between students, teachers and community members. Please keep their family and friends in their thoughts and prayers.”
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