MANVEL, Texas – Grief counselors will be on hand Thursday at Manvel High School to help students deal with the loss of three of their classmates.
They were killed in a fiery crash in Brazoria County Wednesday.
It is a somber day for the Manvel High community as staff students and parents come to campus. There's one thing on their mind — the deaths of three of their students in a fiery car wreck on County Road 100.
According to press release from Manvel High School Principal Charlotte Liptack, the students killed in the crash have been identified as:
- Sara Silvas, 17, senior, of Clute, Texas. She was the daughter of Manvel High School Dual Credit Advisor, Monica Silvas. She was also a member of the varsity softball team. This was her second year at Manvel High School. She previously attended Brazoswood High School. She was making plans to attend the University of Texas at San Antonio.
- Joshua "Josh" Rodriguez, 18, senior, of Pearland, Texas. Rodriguez played football and soccer for Manvel High School. He attended Don Jeter Elementary and Nolan Ryan Jr. High School, both in Alvin ISD. He was making plans to attend the University of Houston with a major in engineering. Rodriguez has a 10th-grade sibling at Manvel High School and a fifth-grade sibling at Mary Marek Elementary, as well as a sibling that was a 2013 graduate of Manvel High School.
- Zornitsa "Zori" Petrova, 17, senior, of Pearland, Texas. She was a member of the Manvel High School swim and tennis teams. She was also the senior class president. She attended elementary school at Mary Marek Elementary and Nolan Ryan Jr. High, both in Alvin ISD. She had been accepted, and was planning to attend Texas A&M University. She has a 10th-grade brother also at Manvel High School.
The principal had high praise for all three victims.
"Sara always had a bright smile and was a vibrant part of the Manvel High School community. She was kind, hardworking, and always helpful," Liptack said in the release.
She added that the driver of the car, Rodriguez, was an active student on campus.
"He was an active student who was always happy and loved life. He was enthusiastic, vibrant and athletic," she said.
Liptack explained that the third victim was very involved on campus before Wednesday's tragic accident.
"She had an outgoing, contagious personality. She was a brilliant student and an integral member of the debate and academic decathlon teams," she said.
The principal has sent the following letter to parents:
"Manvel High School is deeply saddened to share that a tragedy impacted our campus family yesterday afternoon. Around 2 pm, three Manvel High School students were involved in a fatal car accident. Sadly, the Texas Department of Public Safety notified us this morning that seniors Sara Silvas, Joshua Rodriguez, and Zornitsa Petrova passed away at the scene of the accident.
"The Alvin ISD Crisis Response Team is currently on campus to provide assistance to both students and staff. Please be assured that the team will remain with students and staff as long as a need exists. We encourage you to speak with your children this evening and reach out to the school if you need any assistance. Our counselors can be reached by calling 281-245-2232.
"The Manvel High School community is a family that shows incredible support for one another during trying times. The three families need to know that we care, but they also need privacy today and throughout the week. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers, and please be there for each other. I know that we will get through this difficult time together."
On Wednesday, Rodriguez was driving with the two girls as his passengers.
Troopers with the Texas Department of Transportation say he lost control of his Honda and crashed into a ditch. Then the car caught fire.
The bodies were so badly burned it took hours to identify the victims.
Investigators still trying to figure out the cause of the crash.
