WELLS – Two teenagers died in a single-car accident shortly after midnight Friday, police said.
Sixteen-year-old Christian Lumenello of Ogunquit and 15-year-old Austin Dykes of Wells were both sophomores at Wells High School, which serves both communities.
“They were both wonderful young men and very active in the high school body,” said Elaine Tomaszewski, superintendent of the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District. “Each of these young men had a wide circle of friends.”
Lumenollo was just chosen by students as homecoming king and would have been crowned next week, she said.
“He was really a friend to all and supportive to all of his friends,” she said.
Dykes had a wonderful sense of humor, and stopped to joke with the high school principal and a teacher on the way out of school Friday afternoon, she said. “People were very important to him,” she said.
Tomaszewski spoke with both families on Saturday, but was respecting their need for time and privacy, she said. “We really are mourning them as a school system, but certain our thoughts are with the families.”
Tomaszewski and other school administrators also met Saturday to prepare for the return of the high school’s nearly 500 students on Monday. Counselors will be available during the school day for both students and staff, she said.
The athletic director met with coaches and players before two school sporting events Saturday, but officials decided against cancelling the matches and encouraged players and families to make the individual decisions about whether to play, she said.
Lumenello was driving with an intermediate license, which means he was not allowed to have a passenger who was not a family member (unless accompanied by an adult driver) and he was not allowed to drive after midnight. Intermediate licenses are granted to new drivers after passing their road tests and the last 180 days, after which the restrictions are lifted.
Lumenello got his driver’s license in June and would have had an intermediate license until December, according to Sgt. Kevin Chabot of the Wells Police Department.
Also, Chabot said alcohol use is not suspected, but that blood tests will be done as a routine matter.
The accident occurred at about 12:40 a.m. on Tatnic Road near the turnpike overpass, police said.
A Ford Taurus driven by Lumenello was headed east, apparently at high speed, police said.
The car went over a small knoll and became airborne and Lumenello apparently lost control when it came back down.
The car slid sideways into a tree, pinning Lumenello and Dykes, his only passenger, in the car.
Police said Dykes died at the scene and Lumenello was taken by LifeFlight to Maine Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 3 a.m.
Staff Writer John Richardson can be contacted at 791-6324 or at:
jrichardson@pressherald.com
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