Less than seven hours after dancing to the song Forever Young at their school formal, three of them were dead and two were left fighting for their lives after a horror head-on collision with a dump truck at Glendenning, in Sydney's west.
The teenagers killed during their last week of school were P-plate driver Rajeev Gautam, 17, Sharmini Anandappa, 18, and Sylvia Kishor, 18.
Sharon Prasad, 17, was clinging to life after being placed in a medically induced coma following surgery for a blood clot on the brain.
Washal Reddy, 17, remains in a serious but stable condition in Westmead Hospital.
In a tragic twist, it emerged that Sylvia's brother, Neillu, was killed in a car crash in 2000. Her parents now have one surviving child, aged 10.
Poignantly, Sylvia posted a message of love to Neillu on her personal website before her death, promising they would be reunited some day.
"i luv u ... ma one n onlii guardian angel ... see you when i get there,'' she wrote.
Washal's brother, Rajan, 21, said Washal had not yet been told of his friends' deaths for fear he would go into shock.
"My brother doesn't have any idea where he is or what happened,'' he said at Westmead Hospital.
"We would prefer to keep him in the dark until he is physically recovered.''
With the exception of Sylvia, a St Marys Senior High School student, all the teens attended Loyola Senior High School, at Mt Druitt, where hundreds attended a special Mass yesterday.
Shocked schoolmates told how they danced together at the formal before saying goodbye.
Year 12 student Luke Harris said: "Everyone was on the dance floor, the last song was Forever Young, and everyone was hugging everyone. Sylvia was really happy and I danced with her. I asked her what she was doing afterwards, and she said she was going into the city.''
Sylvia accompanied Washal Reddy, her boyfriend, to the formal. They later attended an after-party at a friend's place.
Family friend Jackie Khoshaba said that when Sylvia had not returned home by Friday morning, her mother rang police to report her missing.
"She called the station and they said: 'I'm sorry, but your daughter was in a car accident and she didn't make it,''' Ms Khoshaba said.
Log Nadan, a close friend and neighbour of the Prasad family, described Sylvia as a "hard-working'' student.
Of the recovering Washal, Mr Naden said: "The boy will be all right. He's waking up in patches.
"When the accident happened he was all right, but when he got to hospital he started screaming and went into shock. It's awful.''
The close-knit group had been travelling home after a party at Glendenning, hosted by a schoolmate called Natasha.
Rajeev, known as "Reggie'', had offered to be the designated driver, ferrying several carloads of friends home.
"Reggie had done a few trips to drop people off from about 6am,'' Rajan, who attended the party, said. None of the group had drunk any alcohol, he said.
"People were told to crash, but it was a party and no one wanted to sleep,'' Rajan said.
"But by early morning, some people decided to go home and Reggie was more than happy to drop them off. He was so happy just to be with his friends.
"He had picked them all up at the beginning of the evening, too.''
Describing the group as they set off to the Year 12 formal at Curzon Hall, Marsfield, Rajan said:
"The girls looked gorgeous, all glammed up. One of the girls was wearing a sari and my brother was wearing an Indian suit.''
At midnight, the friends left the formal and made their way to Natasha's house.
"There was music, some R&B. We were all dancing, laughing and having fun,'' Rajan said.
"Reggie seemed all right. he didn't look tired at all."
Yesterday, grief-stricken students gathered at Loyola's chapel and tried to come to terms with the tragedy.
The State Government will this week convene an expert panel to consider measures to reduce P-plate deaths.
"We can't believe it,'' Sharmini's older sister Shalini said at the service.
Sharmini had been looking forward to the formal for months and "wore a new cocktail dress, she looked so beautiful.
"She was presented with four academic awards for business and academics. She was planning to get into a career in businsess or accounting. ''
Her father Nihal said his daughter was a "beautiful, responsible daughter''.
"They are not irresponsible drivers. For something like this to happen doesn't make sense.''
St Mary's Senior High School principal Kris Beazley said Sylvia had been due to attend her own school's formal at Penrith Panthers on Friday night.
"Sylvia was an extremely dedicated and hardworking student who was committed to achieving and getting the best results possible,'' Ms Beazley said.
"She was well respected and liked by her peers and teachers and this was in accord with her happy, outgoing disposition.
"The mood at the formal was one of sadness and devastation at what happened.
"We had a minute's silence and dedication to Sylvia and the other victims of the car crash.
"There were staff trained as counsellors at the formal and between 20 and 30 students sought one-on-one counselling.''
i love you all so much im sorry i couldnt have been there to save you.
and rajeev have fun in heaven im sorry i didnt have a picture of you, my sister will take care of you ,sylvia and sharmini love teyj.
The teenagers killed during their last week of school were P-plate driver Rajeev Gautam, 17, Sharmini Anandappa, 18, and Sylvia Kishor, 18.
Sharon Prasad, 17, was clinging to life after being placed in a medically induced coma following surgery for a blood clot on the brain.
Washal Reddy, 17, remains in a serious but stable condition in Westmead Hospital.
In a tragic twist, it emerged that Sylvia's brother, Neillu, was killed in a car crash in 2000. Her parents now have one surviving child, aged 10.
Poignantly, Sylvia posted a message of love to Neillu on her personal website before her death, promising they would be reunited some day.
"i luv u ... ma one n onlii guardian angel ... see you when i get there,'' she wrote.
Washal's brother, Rajan, 21, said Washal had not yet been told of his friends' deaths for fear he would go into shock.
"My brother doesn't have any idea where he is or what happened,'' he said at Westmead Hospital.
"We would prefer to keep him in the dark until he is physically recovered.''
With the exception of Sylvia, a St Marys Senior High School student, all the teens attended Loyola Senior High School, at Mt Druitt, where hundreds attended a special Mass yesterday.
Shocked schoolmates told how they danced together at the formal before saying goodbye.
Year 12 student Luke Harris said: "Everyone was on the dance floor, the last song was Forever Young, and everyone was hugging everyone. Sylvia was really happy and I danced with her. I asked her what she was doing afterwards, and she said she was going into the city.''
Sylvia accompanied Washal Reddy, her boyfriend, to the formal. They later attended an after-party at a friend's place.
Family friend Jackie Khoshaba said that when Sylvia had not returned home by Friday morning, her mother rang police to report her missing.
"She called the station and they said: 'I'm sorry, but your daughter was in a car accident and she didn't make it,''' Ms Khoshaba said.
Log Nadan, a close friend and neighbour of the Prasad family, described Sylvia as a "hard-working'' student.
Of the recovering Washal, Mr Naden said: "The boy will be all right. He's waking up in patches.
"When the accident happened he was all right, but when he got to hospital he started screaming and went into shock. It's awful.''
The close-knit group had been travelling home after a party at Glendenning, hosted by a schoolmate called Natasha.
Rajeev, known as "Reggie'', had offered to be the designated driver, ferrying several carloads of friends home.
"Reggie had done a few trips to drop people off from about 6am,'' Rajan, who attended the party, said. None of the group had drunk any alcohol, he said.
"People were told to crash, but it was a party and no one wanted to sleep,'' Rajan said.
"But by early morning, some people decided to go home and Reggie was more than happy to drop them off. He was so happy just to be with his friends.
"He had picked them all up at the beginning of the evening, too.''
Describing the group as they set off to the Year 12 formal at Curzon Hall, Marsfield, Rajan said:
"The girls looked gorgeous, all glammed up. One of the girls was wearing a sari and my brother was wearing an Indian suit.''
At midnight, the friends left the formal and made their way to Natasha's house.
"There was music, some R&B. We were all dancing, laughing and having fun,'' Rajan said.
"Reggie seemed all right. he didn't look tired at all."
Yesterday, grief-stricken students gathered at Loyola's chapel and tried to come to terms with the tragedy.
The State Government will this week convene an expert panel to consider measures to reduce P-plate deaths.
"We can't believe it,'' Sharmini's older sister Shalini said at the service.
Sharmini had been looking forward to the formal for months and "wore a new cocktail dress, she looked so beautiful.
"She was presented with four academic awards for business and academics. She was planning to get into a career in businsess or accounting. ''
Her father Nihal said his daughter was a "beautiful, responsible daughter''.
"They are not irresponsible drivers. For something like this to happen doesn't make sense.''
St Mary's Senior High School principal Kris Beazley said Sylvia had been due to attend her own school's formal at Penrith Panthers on Friday night.
"Sylvia was an extremely dedicated and hardworking student who was committed to achieving and getting the best results possible,'' Ms Beazley said.
"She was well respected and liked by her peers and teachers and this was in accord with her happy, outgoing disposition.
"The mood at the formal was one of sadness and devastation at what happened.
"We had a minute's silence and dedication to Sylvia and the other victims of the car crash.
"There were staff trained as counsellors at the formal and between 20 and 30 students sought one-on-one counselling.''
i love you all so much im sorry i couldnt have been there to save you.
and rajeev have fun in heaven im sorry i didnt have a picture of you, my sister will take care of you ,sylvia and sharmini love teyj.
VIEW 6 of 6 COMMENTS
those road side memorials are getting way too common....
The best lack conviction
Given some time to think
And the worst are full of passion
Without mercy --Yeats/Mitchell
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