Panther Creek High student dies of injuries from wreck

YOUNG LIFE CUT SHORT AFTER A

YOUNG DRIVER'S SPLIT SECOND

DECISION.

A PANTHER CREEK HIGH SCHOOL

STUDENT INJURED IN A CRASH HAS

DIED.

I'M GERALD OWENS.

>> AND I'M DEBRA MORGAN, DAVID

CRABTREE IS OFF TONIGHT.

15-YEAR-OLD LAURA YOST WAS THE

PASSENGER IN AN SUV THAT

COLLIDED WITH A DUMP TRUCK, HER

FRIEND MAY SOON FACE CHARGES FOR

CAUSING THE CRASH.

WRAL'S SLOANE HEFFERNAN LIVE

WHERE LAURA IS REMEMBERED

TONIGHT.

SLOANE?

>> Reporter: DEBRA, THIS IS

WHERE YOU WOULD NORMALLY FIND

LAURA YOST ON A TYPICAL TUESDAY

NIGHT, OUT HERE PRACTICING WITH

HER TRAVELLING TEAM FOR CASTLE,

HER DEATH IS LEAVING A VOID IN

THE SOCCER COMMUNITY AND IN THE

LIVES OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS

INCLUDING THAT YOUNG MAN WHO IS

RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WRECK.

>> SHE WAS THE KIND OF PLAYER

THAT WOULD RUN THROUGH A WALL IF

I ASKED HER TO.

>> Reporter: A COACH IS

SUPPOSED TO BE TOUGH, BUT EMILY

CAN'T STOP THE TEARS AFTER

LOSING ONE OF HER MOST FEARLESS

PLAYERS.

>> THE KIND OF GIRL YOU WOULD

WANT ON YOUR TEAM.

>> Reporter: 15-YEAR-OLD LAURA

YOST PLAYED ONLY ONE SEASON WITH

COACH TURGEON'S TEAM.

SHE WAS IN THIS SUV WHEN IT

CRASHED.

THE DRIVER TRIED TO BEAT THE

LIGHT WHILE TURNING LEFT AND WAS

HIT BY AN ONCOMING TRUCK.

>> SHE WAS TOUGH BEFORE THE

ACCIDENT, AND EVEN TOUGHER LAST

WEEK, FIGHTING FOR HER LIFE.

>> Reporter: YOST WAS ON HER

WAY TO SCHOOL WITH HER BROTHER,

RYAN, WHEN THE CRASH HAPPENED.

HER GOOD FRIEND SPENCER

SAUNDERS, SEEN HERE WITH HER WAS

BEHIND THE WHEEL.

POLICE SAY SAUNDERS WAS AT

FAULT, THEY'RE CONSIDERING

CHARGES.

HE POSTED A STATEMENT THAT SAID

IN PART, THIS TRULY BREAKS MY

HEART, I AM SO SORRY THIS

HAPPENED.

PLEASE FORGIVE ME, IT SHOULD BE

ME UP THERE, NOT YOU.

AT PANTHER CREEK HIGH WHERE THE

THREE STUDENTS ATTENDED SCHOOL,

GRIEF COUNSELLORS CALLED IN.

FRESH FLOWERS AT THE CRASH SITE,

AND SADNESS FELT ON THE SOCCER

FIELD.

>> THE BEST WAY THAT WE CAN

HONOR HER IS PUTTING ON OUR SHIN

GUARDS, PUTTING ON OUR CLEATS

AND GETTING OUT ON THE ON TO THE

FIELD AND PLAYING FOR HER.

>> Reporter: AND THAT'S EXACTLY

WHAT THEY PLAN ON DOING TONIGHT

IN JUST A FEW MINUTES, YOST'S

TEAMMATES ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE

THIS FIELD, THEY WILL HAVE A

BALLOON RELEASED IN HER HONOR,

HER BROTHER AND THE YOUNG MAN

WHO WAS BEHIND THE WHEEL ALSO

PLAYED SOCCER AS WELL, CASTLE

OFFICIALS SAY THE ORGANIZATION

IS RALLYING AROUND BOTH FAMILIES

AS THEY'RE BOTH DEALING WITH

HEART ACHE TONIGHT, BACK TO YOU.

>> EMOTIONAL NIGHT, THANK YOU.