Saturday, April 2, Smoky Hill senior Asante Ray was driving where Sixth Avenue turns into two lanes, when a head-on-collision occurred with a black SUV. Police and fire crews found Ray’s silver sedan with three occupants and a black SUV with one occupant.

“He was trying to pass a car which occurred into an accident. He died on the scene, and the kid in the passenger seat died the following day. I heard the person in the back seat is in critical condition at the hospital right now,” Jordan Robinson, a good friend of Ray, said.

Ray died at the scene. Police said that according to their initial investigation, the sedan was traveling eastbound on Sixth Avenue and might have been passing another eastbound vehicle. Police said no criminal activity, drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident.

“My mom and I organized the candlelight vigil because on the Saturday it happened everyone was trying to visit his mom which could get overwhelming. We knew an event had to be put on for his friends to have peace with it. He had a lot of friends from everywhere in Colorado because he was so friendly,” Arianna Gonzales, childhood friend of Ray, said.

Sunday, fellow students, family and friends of Ray went to the candlelight vigil outside of the Century 16 theater. The Junior AVID class made posters to show support to the Senior AVID class.