Police identify two West High students killed in crash; second vigil held

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake City police look at skid marks at the scene of an accident at 700 North 300 West Thursday, Feb. 16. The blue car going north on 300 West skidded, jumped the median and struck a southbound SUV. Two teenage passengers in the car were killed and the drivers of the car and the SUV were seriously injured.

Students at West High School held a vigil and signed posters on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017 in honor of Vidal Pacheco, 17, who was killed alongside his best friend and fellow student Dylan Hernandez, 18, in a downtown Salt Lake City car crash the day before.

Mariah Noble | The Salt Lake Tribune

Students at West High School held a vigil and signed posters on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017 in honor of Dylan Hernandez, 18, who was killed alongside his best friend and fellow student Vidal Pacheco, 17, in a downtown Salt Lake City car crash the day before.

Mariah Noble | The Salt Lake Tribune

Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Students, family, friends and community members gather for a candlelight vigil Friday February 17, 2017. Police have identified two West High School students who were killed Thursday in a downtown Salt Lake City car crash. The students, 17-year-old Vidal Pacheco and 18-year-old Dylan Hernandez, were passengers in a northbound car driven by a third teen, which witnesses said appeared to be racing another car and traveling in excess of 70 mph on 300 West about 11:30 a.m., said Salt Lake City police Detective Cody Lougy.

Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Students, family, friends and community members gather for a candlelight vigil Friday February 17, 2017. Police have identified two West High School students who were killed Thursday in a downtown Salt Lake City car crash. The students, 17-year-old Vidal Pacheco and 18-year-old Dylan Hernandez, were passengers in a northbound car driven by a third teen, which witnesses said appeared to be racing another car and traveling in excess of 70 mph on 300 West about 11:30 a.m., said Salt Lake City police Detective Cody Lougy.

Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Students, family, friends and community members gather for a candlelight vigil Friday February 17, 2017. Police have identified two West High School students who were killed Thursday in a downtown Salt Lake City car crash. The students, 17-year-old Vidal Pacheco and 18-year-old Dylan Hernandez, were passengers in a northbound car driven by a third teen, which witnesses said appeared to be racing another car and traveling in excess of 70 mph on 300 West about 11:30 a.m., said Salt Lake City police Detective Cody Lougy.

Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Students, family, friends and community members gather for a candlelight vigil Friday February 17, 2017. Police have identified two West High School students who were killed Thursday in a downtown Salt Lake City car crash. The students, 17-year-old Vidal Pacheco and 18-year-old Dylan Hernandez, were passengers in a northbound car driven by a third teen, which witnesses said appeared to be racing another car and traveling in excess of 70 mph on 300 West about 11:30 a.m., said Salt Lake City police Detective Cody Lougy.

Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Students, family, friends and community members gather for a candlelight vigil Friday February 17, 2017. Police have identified two West High School students who were killed Thursday in a downtown Salt Lake City car crash. The students, 17-year-old Vidal Pacheco and 18-year-old Dylan Hernandez, were passengers in a northbound car driven by a third teen, which witnesses said appeared to be racing another car and traveling in excess of 70 mph on 300 West about 11:30 a.m., said Salt Lake City police Detective Cody Lougy.

Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Students, family, friends and community members gather for a candlelight vigil Friday February 17, 2017. Police have identified two West High School students who were killed Thursday in a downtown Salt Lake City car crash. The students, 17-year-old Vidal Pacheco and 18-year-old Dylan Hernandez, were passengers in a northbound car driven by a third teen, which witnesses said appeared to be racing another car and traveling in excess of 70 mph on 300 West about 11:30 a.m., said Salt Lake City police Detective Cody Lougy.

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune
West High School student MJ Powell, 18, says a few words after organizing a candlelight vigil at the scene of a deadly car accident involving students from the school early Thursday morning. Two West High School seniors were killed and two others - another student and a pregnant woman were seriously injured in the head-on collision north of the school.

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune
Students from West High School gather for a candlelight vigil at the scene of a deadly car accident involving students from the school early Thursday morning. Two West High School seniors were killed and two others - another student and a pregnant woman were seriously injured in the head-on collision north of the school.

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune
West High School student MJ Powell, 18, upper left, comforts a friend as he says a few words after organizing a candlelight vigil at the scene of a deadly car accident involving students from the school early Thursday morning. Two West High School seniors were killed and two others - another student and a pregnant woman were seriously injured in the head-on collision north of the school.

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune
Students from West High School gather for a candlelight vigil at the scene of a deadly car accident involving students from the school early Thursday morning. Two West High School seniors were killed and two others - another student and a pregnant woman were seriously injured in the head-on collision north of the school.

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune
Students from West High School gather for a candlelight vigil at the scene of a deadly car accident involving students from the school early Thursday morning. Two West High School seniors were killed and two others - another student and a pregnant woman were seriously injured in the head-on collision north of the school.

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune
Students from West High School gather for a candlelight vigil at the scene of a deadly car accident involving students from the school early Thursday morning. Two West High School seniors were killed and two others - another student and a pregnant woman were seriously injured in the head-on collision north of the school.

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Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Salt Lake City police look at skid marks at the scene of an accident at 700 North 300 West Thursday, Feb. 16. The blue car going north on 300 West skidded, jumped the median and struck a southbound SUV. Two teenage passengers in the car were killed and the drivers of the car and the SUV were seriously injured. Students at West High School held a vigil and signed posters on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017 in honor of Vidal Pacheco, 17, who was killed alongside his best friend and fellow student Dylan Hernandez, 18, in a downtown Salt Lake City car crash the day before. Mariah Noble | The Salt Lake Tribune Students at West High School held a vigil and signed posters on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017 in honor of Dylan Hernandez, 18, who was killed alongside his best friend and fellow student Vidal Pacheco, 17, in a downtown Salt Lake City car crash the day before. Mariah Noble | The Salt Lake Tribune Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune Students, family, friends and community members gather for a candlelight vigil Friday February 17, 2017. Police have identified two West High School students who were killed Thursday in a downtown Salt Lake City car crash. The students, 17-year-old Vidal Pacheco and 18-year-old Dylan Hernandez, were passengers in a northbound car driven by a third teen, which witnesses said appeared to be racing another car and traveling in excess of 70 mph on 300 West about 11:30 a.m., said Salt Lake City police Detective Cody Lougy. Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune Students, family, friends and community members gather for a candlelight vigil Friday February 17, 2017. Police have identified two West High School students who were killed Thursday in a downtown Salt Lake City car crash. The students, 17-year-old Vidal Pacheco and 18-year-old Dylan Hernandez, were passengers in a northbound car driven by a third teen, which witnesses said appeared to be racing another car and traveling in excess of 70 mph on 300 West about 11:30 a.m., said Salt Lake City police Detective Cody Lougy. Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune Students, family, friends and community members gather for a candlelight vigil Friday February 17, 2017. Police have identified two West High School students who were killed Thursday in a downtown Salt Lake City car crash. The students, 17-year-old Vidal Pacheco and 18-year-old Dylan Hernandez, were passengers in a northbound car driven by a third teen, which witnesses said appeared to be racing another car and traveling in excess of 70 mph on 300 West about 11:30 a.m., said Salt Lake City police Detective Cody Lougy. Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune Students, family, friends and community members gather for a candlelight vigil Friday February 17, 2017. Police have identified two West High School students who were killed Thursday in a downtown Salt Lake City car crash. The students, 17-year-old Vidal Pacheco and 18-year-old Dylan Hernandez, were passengers in a northbound car driven by a third teen, which witnesses said appeared to be racing another car and traveling in excess of 70 mph on 300 West about 11:30 a.m., said Salt Lake City police Detective Cody Lougy. Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune Students, family, friends and community members gather for a candlelight vigil Friday February 17, 2017. Police have identified two West High School students who were killed Thursday in a downtown Salt Lake City car crash. The students, 17-year-old Vidal Pacheco and 18-year-old Dylan Hernandez, were passengers in a northbound car driven by a third teen, which witnesses said appeared to be racing another car and traveling in excess of 70 mph on 300 West about 11:30 a.m., said Salt Lake City police Detective Cody Lougy. Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune Students, family, friends and community members gather for a candlelight vigil Friday February 17, 2017. Police have identified two West High School students who were killed Thursday in a downtown Salt Lake City car crash. The students, 17-year-old Vidal Pacheco and 18-year-old Dylan Hernandez, were passengers in a northbound car driven by a third teen, which witnesses said appeared to be racing another car and traveling in excess of 70 mph on 300 West about 11:30 a.m., said Salt Lake City police Detective Cody Lougy. Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune West High School student MJ Powell, 18, says a few words after organizing a candlelight vigil at the scene of a deadly car accident involving students from the school early Thursday morning. Two West High School seniors were killed and two others - another student and a pregnant woman were seriously injured in the head-on collision north of the school. Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune Students from West High School gather for a candlelight vigil at the scene of a deadly car accident involving students from the school early Thursday morning. Two West High School seniors were killed and two others - another student and a pregnant woman were seriously injured in the head-on collision north of the school. Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune West High School student MJ Powell, 18, upper left, comforts a friend as he says a few words after organizing a candlelight vigil at the scene of a deadly car accident involving students from the school early Thursday morning. Two West High School seniors were killed and two others - another student and a pregnant woman were seriously injured in the head-on collision north of the school. Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune Students from West High School gather for a candlelight vigil at the scene of a deadly car accident involving students from the school early Thursday morning. Two West High School seniors were killed and two others - another student and a pregnant woman were seriously injured in the head-on collision north of the school. Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune Students from West High School gather for a candlelight vigil at the scene of a deadly car accident involving students from the school early Thursday morning. Two West High School seniors were killed and two others - another student and a pregnant woman were seriously injured in the head-on collision north of the school. Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune Students from West High School gather for a candlelight vigil at the scene of a deadly car accident involving students from the school early Thursday morning. Two West High School seniors were killed and two others - another student and a pregnant woman were seriously injured in the head-on collision north of the school.

By Mariah Noble The Salt Lake Tribune

· February 17, 2017 4:42 pm

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

About 150 people gathered at West High School on Friday night to honor students who were killed Thursday in a downtown Salt Lake City car crash.

The students, identified by police Friday as 17-year-old Vidal Pacheco and 18-year-old Dylan Hernandez, were passengers in a car driven by a third teen who was also a student.

Students and community members with tears glistening in their eyes held candles as they heard two stories about the boys. One girl, Belen, mentioned that the shy, sweet Hernandez would help her with math year after year and buy her food when she would "sluff" class with him. He would share raps he'd written with her, but she said they sounded more like poetry.

Pacheco was outgoing and had an infectious smile, said MJ Powell, a senior involved in student government at the school. He would often joke around with classmates.

Both teens loved cars, classmates said, and had been best friends, hardly going anywhere without the other. Witnesses to the tragic crash told police the teens appeared to be racing another car on 300 West about 11:30 a.m. Thursday, said Salt Lake City police Detective Cody Lougy, reaching speeds in excess of 70 mph.

The teens' car jumped a landscaped island near 700 North and collided head-on with an SUV driven by a 32-year-old woman who was seven to eight months pregnant, Lougy said. She later gave birth at a hospital and both she and her baby were listed in serious condition. The teenage driver — also mentioned at Friday's vigil — was likewise in serious condition at a hospital.

Police said Friday that they had located another vehicle believed to have been racing with the other car.

Powell helped organize the vigils, where those gathered wrote messages on banners, quietly sang the school song and left behind flowers and balloons in memory of the teens. Powell also set up a fundraising page for the teens' families. The family of the woman injured in the crash has also set up a page for her.

mnoble@sltrib.com

Twitter: @mnoblenews