The classmates of a 16-year-old girl who died when her car crashed into a tree and burst into flames have sobbed as they remember their friend.
Liv Teverino’s classmates came together to turn what was formerly her parking place at Marietta High School outside of Atlanta, Georgia, into a memorial to her brief life.
Liv, a junior, was driving home from cross-country practice on Monday when her 2016 Volvo collided with a tree.
The truck had exploded in flames by the time first responders arrived, with the fire spreading across the whole length of the vehicle.
When firefighters extinguished the flames, they discovered the teen girl, who has been described as a scholar, athlete, and community leader.
“She exemplified what it means to live your life the best that you possibly can and in the path of God,” her friend Isaac Phillip, who had known her since he was four years old, told Atlanta News First.
“Any person that met her truly was a blessed individual.”
The day after her death, Isaac and many others came to school to decorate her parking place with a swarm of yellow bouquets, as tragic images show.
Yellow was her favorite hue, and it stood out against the black tarmac outside the school.
Flowers and a cross were also left at the crash site, and a crucifix was strung on the tree above the shattered tree that halted her car.
“As part of the MHS International Baccalaureate Programme and our state champion cross-country team, she embodied passion and decision,” said Marietta City Schools superintendent Grant Rivera.
“As with everything she undertook, Liv excelled, leaving an indelible mark of excellence.”
Students who failed to come to school on Tuesday were not counted absent as the small community reckons with the death of Liv, who teachers say had a bright future.
“Our Marietta community is resilient, and in times of adversity, we find strength in one another,” Rivera said.
When Liv wasn’t at school, she could oftentimes be found at St. Joseph’s Church where she served as an altar server.
Friends remember her strong sense of faith as they reckon with the weight of her death.
“I can only hope that everyone that did not get to meet her and know her just holds onto whatever goodness that she gave him because there’s a strong chance that nobody else in the world could really give them that,” Isaac said through tears.
A private vigil was held on Monday night for Liv’s family and friends.
According to school administrators, social workers, psychologists, and community leaders are available to any student who requires support.
Marietta Selective Traffic Enforcement Program officers are investigating the crash.
