Three recent high school graduates dead. This is the news that shocked the community on Tuesday morning, as law enforcement officials frantically tried to make sense of a crash that left three teens submerged in a canal south of Hanford for an undetermined amount of time. The scene of the crash was a flurry of activity as dry, dusty wind blew through the morning air.

The Kings County Sheriff's Department kept bystanders at a short distance from the canal, while members of the Sheriff's Department Water Rescue Dive Team helped remove the bodies from the vehicle and towed it to shore. Deputies, Kings County firefighters and California Highway Patrol officers were all on hand to try to make sense of the tragic crash.

Each victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Our main concern right now is trying to figure out who the driver was," California Highway Patrol spokesman Jerry Pierce said. "We also want to know exactly where the kids were coming from. We have leads on both and we are just trying to confirm them. Once we figure that out, we may learn what time this whole tragedy took place."

Details are still vague in the deaths of Carlos Sigala, Jesus Rios and Cory Kennedy, who were found early Tuesday morning in a canal off the intersection of 13th and Jersey avenues. Officials report that the 2001 Hyundai Elantra had been in the water for "some time" before it was discovered that morning.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that the three victims were on their way to the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore to seek job application forms, when they were last seen Monday afternoon.

"Our challenge, especially with teenagers, is trying to decipher exactly what happened," Pierce said. "So often these kids' reputations, the way they lived their lives, end up spreading rumors that taint the facts and the way people view the incident. I want people to know -- I think it's important for them to know -- exactly what happened. The families are grieving enough right now. They don't need problems with rumors, which I've already heard many."

The vehicle was reportedly heading eastbound on Jersey Avenue when the driver failed to navigate the T-intersection with 13th Avenue. The failed northbound turn overturned the vehicle right into a nearby canal running parallel to the roadway.

This was the third canal-related crash resulting in multiple fatalities to occur in Kings County in less than a year. In November, seven people were killed when a family heading home from a birthday party in the Monterey Bay area overturned in a canal south of Corcoran. Three months later, in February, four people died when the driver of a GMC Denali traveling at high speed lost control and drove into a dry canal bed, smashing into the far embankment.

Autopsies on the three victims will not be performed until later this week. Officials are anxious to learn whether blunt force trauma or drowning caused the fatalities, which will shed further light on the investigation.

None of the victims was wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, according to the CHP report.

"Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the kids," Hanford Joint Union High School Superintendent Bill Fishbough said. "It's just a tragic incident and we're just heartbroken about it."

HJUHSD trustees held a moment of silence at their Tuesday evening meeting in remembrance of the three recent graduates.

Hanford West band director Lisa Butts was recognized during the meeting for her recent state level awards, but was visibly traumatized by the news of her students' deaths. She arrived at the meeting after attending a 7 p.m. candlelight vigil at the scene of the accident.

"We've set up counseling services for any students or staff that need counseling," said incoming Hanford West Principal Bobby Peters. "It deeply saddens me. It caught us all off guard."

Students and staff at Hanford West who would like to seek counseling services are urged to contact Kirsten Barnes at 583-5903.

All three victims graduated from Hanford West High School last Wednesday. Despite some initial confusion, school officials confirmed that while Sigala's name was not on the graduation list handed out at the event, he was part of the 2008 graduating class.

"All three of them were very active students in Hanford West life," Peters said. "They were the kids you saw at every sporting event. They were great faces on our campus."

Pierce said that it's going to take a while for law enforcement officials to get to the bottom of this incident.

"This is something that has affected the whole community," Pierce said. "I just hope and pray that kids learn something from this. Not to dispel the victims here, but there is always something that can be learned. A lot of kids were affected by these three. I hope they can take something away from this, so they didn't die in vain, so to speak."

Reporter Shannon Milliken contributed to this report. The reporter can be reached at 583-2425.

(JUne 11, 2008)