14 DAY TRIAL // Three teenagers were killed in a car crash on the U.S. 550, one of whom was Texas A&M freshman Polo Manukainiu.
"Polo was loved by his teammates and coaches. Anyone who came in contact with him was struck by his sense of humor and smile. My heart aches for his mom and family members," Texas A&M head football coach Kevin Sumlin says.
The three boys were passengers in a 2002 Toyota Sequoia traveling southbound for Texas. WFAA reports that they had spent the weekend in Utah.
None of the victims of the accident was wearing seatbelts. In fact, the driver was the only one who was secured in his seat.
The crash took place on Monday night, with the vehicle overturning. The car rolled over several times after initially drifting off the road.
19-year-old Manukainiu, 13-year-old Andrew "Lolo" Uhatafe, and 18-year-old Gaius Vaenuku were killed. Driver Salesi Uhatafe Jr., who was in line to play football for Utah, and his father, Salesi Uhatafe Sr., survived the accident. They have only incurred minor injuries.
"As we mourn the loss of three members of our Trinity family, we invite you to use this page as a place to share thoughts about Gaius Vaenuku (THS Class of 2013), Polo Manukainiu (THS Class of 2012), and Lolo Uhatafe (Euless Junior High student), along with support for Salesi Uhatafe (THS Class of 2013)," officials at Trinity High School said in a statement.
Two of the victims were recent Trinity grads of Polynesian descent from Euless. The youngest boy who passed away was a Euless Junior High School student.
"They had huge futures ahead of them. [...] They were just bright and bubbly personalities, and so they were the students that we love to send out and call them Trinity graduates.
"They were students with bright smiles that everybody knew and everybody loved," Trinity High Principal Mike Harris notes.