After a terrible collision that occurred on Friday evening, February 21, the Climax Springs School District and the community of Missouri have been rocked by a tragedy that is both tragic and devastating.
Three recent high school grads who were on their way home after watching their alma mater’s basketball game were among the four people who tragically lost their lives in the brutal collision.
Forced to collide with a tree and a fence
In western Missouri, on the evening of Friday, February 21, at approximately eight o’clock, a horrible accident took happened. The driver of a 2025 Toyota Corolla, who was 49 years old, was traveling south on United States Highway 54 when he ran a stop sign and was struck by a GMC Terrain traveling in the other direction. The impact was severe and catastrophic. The driver of the GMC, a 38-year-old male whose name has not been made public, passed away at the scene of the accident.
Ava Wolfe, Jayden Butterfield, and Violet Corado, all of whom were child passengers in the Corolla, were also among those who perished in the accident. The Climax Springs School District had produced all of these individuals as recent grads. Reports indicate that the force of the collision caused the Corolla to leave the roadway and crash into a tree as well as a fence upon impact.
According to the Kansas City Star, this tragedy has left the town in a state of shock. The school district has taken to Facebook to express their deepest condolences and remember these inspiring young lives.
“Last evening, after attending an away basketball game, three recent Climax Springs graduates were involved in a fatal motor vehicle accident,” officials from the school district announced. “The accident occurred after they had attended the game.” “Ava and Jayden were both cherished employees of the district, and they devoted their time and talent to our students on a daily basis,” the school system noted, supplementing their statement with the following:
In their time as students, each of these individuals has made an indelible mark on our institution.
On Monday and Tuesday of the following week, the District will provide our students and staff with the opportunity to meet with counselors. We ask that you continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as the families and our community mourn the loss of lives that were filled with many wonderful opportunities that were still to come,” the post added.
Dreamed of working in the field of English education
It was mentioned in a senior spotlight that was published in May that Corrado had aspirations of becoming an English teacher at a high school. This information was obtained from the Daily Mail. According to information provided by a nearby dealership, Wolfe had purchased a Ford Bronco just one day before to the collision.
“Just yesterday, Ava was here, filled with joy and excitement as she drove home in her Bronco,” the dealership, Maples Ford, shared with the community. The fact that we are now confronted with this devastating loss is absolutely incomprehensible.
It was in February of 2022 when Ashley Butterfield wrote a post on Facebook in which she reflected on the experience of watching her daughter play basketball for the final time.
She added, “It has come to an end to watch these girls grow up, do what they love, laugh and cheer each other through difficult games, and always give each other a boost of confidence.” “A large number of basketball camps, summer leagues, hundreds and hundreds of hours spent practicing, dinners after games, and briefings before games… There is no escape. The moment I opened my eyes, it was done.
“Jayden, you are one hell of an athlete, and I’m so lucky that I’ve been fortunate enough to follow you around all these years,” Ashley wrote in a caption on her Instagram account. To put it simply, I would do it all over again and again.
For the families of the girls, a fundraising page has already been established, and a significant number of people have already contributed. The following is a statement made by LaRessa LyVonne Cline, the one who initiated the fundraising event:
The neighborhood is in utter disarray as a result of the passing of these three wonderful individuals who were members of three distinct families. In times like these, there are not enough prayers, affection, or tears that could even come close to healing the hearts of a little community or touching the hurt that they are experiencing.
Seatbelts were worn by four out of ten of the passengers.
In addition to the people who were killed, there were four passengers inside the SUV who were hurt. These passengers included two Osceola girls who were 16 years old, a woman who was 18 years old, and a lady who was 39 years old. The injuries ranged from insignificant to severe. Another person who suffered critical injuries was the driver of the Corolla, who was 38 years old.
A further finding that was recorded by the authorities was that only four of the 10 individuals who were involved in the collision were wearing seatbelts.
Experiencing such a devastating loss is truly terrible. Too quickly, these little lives were gone away. Every one of them should be at peace. To their families, please accept my sincerest sympathies. May God bless each and every one of you.