The Dupo school community is mourning the deaths earlier this week of three teens in a crash near Valmeyer.

Emergency personnel responded about 2:25 p.m. Tuesday to a rollover crash with three fatalities on Bluff Road at Trout Hollow Road just north of Valmeyer.

The fatalities were Joshua Moate, an 18-year-old male from south St. Louis County and formerly of Dupo; Savannah Amsden, a 13-year old female from Dupo; and Hailey Lattina, a 15-year-old female from Dupo.

A Valmeyer police officer observed a car traveling on Bluff Road at a high rate of speed and was following behind it but had not yet activated sirens for a stop attempt.

According to a preliminary report by the Illinois State Police, a 2007 silver Pontiac sedan driven by Moate was traveling north on Bluff Road and struck a 2007 white box truck that was traveling south on Bluff Road and attempting to turn left onto Trout Hollow Road.

The Pontiac struck the truck in the rear passenger side as it was turning. All three occupants of the car were ejected from the sedan and pronounced dead on the scene.

The driver of the truck, a 33-year-old man from St. Louis, was not injured.

The road was closed for about six hours while the crash was being investigated by ISP.

Friends and family have started GoFundMe campaigns to help pay for the funeral expenses for the teens. To donate to Moate’s, click here. To donate to Amsden’s, click here. To donate to Lattina’s, click here or here.

The Dupo School District also acknowledged the death of the teens. Lattina was a current student and Moate was a former student.

“As a Dupo Tiger family, we extend our deepest sympathies to the families and others who have been affected by this loss,” the district wrote.

Moate worked for Pretzel Pretzel in South County, according to his obituary, and dreamed of owning his own pretzel store. Visitation for him will be Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. at Leesman Funeral Home in Dupo, with the funeral beginning at 2 pm. For Moate’s full obituary, click here.

Amsden was an eighth grader at St. Mary’s in Belleville. Visitation takes place Monday from 4-6 p.m. at Leesman Funeral Home in Dupo. Funeral services will follow. For Amsden’s full obituary, click here.

Lattina was a sophomore at Dupo High School. Visitation is Tuesday from 4-7 p.m. at Leesman Funeral Home in Dupo, with a service to follow. For her full obituary, click here.

A vigil for the teens takes place 5 p.m. Friday at the crash site.