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Teenager Killed in Crash of Van During Lunch Trip Off Campus

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TIMES STAFF WRITERS

A 16-year-old Woodbridge High School sophomore died and three other students suffered minor injuries Thursday when the van they were riding in swerved off a rain-slicked street near the Irvine campus and slammed into a utility pole.

The teenagers were on noon break at the time, and the accident has raised new concerns about the school district’s policy of allowing students to go off campus for lunch. Police said this was the most serious of several auto accidents involving students driving during their lunch break. Last year, three Irvine High School students suffered minor injuries when their car collided with another vehicle during the noon break.

“I think a lot of parents are worried about them driving off campus, especially on a [rainy] day like today,” said Annette Bono, who was waiting Thursday to pick up her daughter at Woodbridge.

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The accident occurred about 12:30 p.m. a few blocks from the campus, as moderate rain was falling. A 1994 Ford Club Wagon van driven by a 17-year-old male student and carrying three other students began hydroplaning, police said. The two-ton van jumped a curb and crashed into a 35-foot concrete pole near the corner of Alton Parkway and San Marino.

The driver and two passengers walked away from the accident. But Kristin Godfrey, a volleyball player at the school, died at the scene after suffering head and internal injuries, police said. Kristin was seated behind the front passenger’s seat, exactly where the van struck the pole, police said.

Word of the accident spread quickly at the school, moving many students to tears. Some stood in the rain sobbing. Those who were closest to Kristin gathered in the administrative office, hugging one another and crying.

After most students and teachers left for the day, a group of five remained--huddled together in the parking lot to pray while a gentle rain fell about them.

Friends described Kristin as a friendly, easygoing teen with big, beautiful, blue eyes. She had been a cheerleader and was an avid volleyball player. She also liked snowboarding, they said.

“She was a beautiful and giving person,” said a family friend, who was fielding calls Thursday evening at the Godfreys’ home. “She was a well-liked kid with lots of friends. . . . The family is pretty broken up right now.”

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Kristin turned 16 in February and was going to be tested soon for her driver’s license, said the friend, who asked not to be identified. “It was just such a freak accident. [Kristin’s] best friend was sitting right next to her and didn’t get hurt at all.”

A family friend arriving at the Godfreys’ home Thursday night said Kristin “majored in popularity. People loved her so much. She had a way of lighting up everyone’s life.

“She was very popular, high energy, very sweet-hearted,” the friend added.

The woman--who said she did not wish to be identified--said her son was Kristin’s good friend. She said she was encouraging him to deal with his grief by focusing on the joy that Kristin brought him and others.

Kristin was a volunteer for multiple charities, including the National Charity League and Children’s Hospital of Orange County, she said.

Brooke Beeson, a friend of Kristin since the seventh grade, said: “She was always happy and fun to be with.”

Peter Berger, 15, said he last saw Kristin as she was leaving for lunch Thursday. “She just talked with me and gave me a hug and left.”

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Police are still investigating the accident and have not determined whether Kristin was wearing her seat belt. It is also unclear what caused the driver to lose control of the van.

The driver’s father said his son was physically doing fine Thursday night but was “not taking it well emotionally.” He declined to comment further.

Police are also trying to determine whether the boy’s driver’s license permits him to have other teenagers in the car. Under a 1997 law, new teen drivers may not operate their vehicles with other teenagers unless accompanied by an adult for the first six months after receiving their licenses.

The school district has considered prohibiting off-campus lunches in the past, but decided not to do so because most students act responsibly and should continue to have the privilege. But some officials said Thursday that the accident could lead to a new review of the rules.

“Of course a situation like this makes us think,” said school Trustee Margie Wakeham. “If we could lock them up and keep them safe, wouldn’t we all be better off?”

Some parents have expressed concern about allowing students to drive off campus during lunch, in part because kids acknowledge they sometimes have to speed back to make their afternoon classes.

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“At lunch you always have to go quickly because you have to get back. You’ve got to go fast, eat and get back quickly,” said Woodbridge student Adi Hassom, 15.

Times staff writer Seema Mehta and Times correspondent James Meier contributed to this report.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Noon Break Turns Deadly

A van carrying four students on a lunch break Thursday skidded on a rain-slicked road in Irvine and crashed into a utility pole, killing a 16-year-old girl, police said. How the accident happened:

1) Van hydroplanes, rear-end fishtails

2) Right rear wheel jumps curb, skids

3) Van strikes cement lightpost

16--year-old girl sitting in right rear seat killed

Source: Lt. Sam Allevato, Irvine Police Department

Graphics reporting by BRADY MacDONALD and RAOUL RANOA / Los Angeles Times

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