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Sampson teen, siblings killed in Georgia wreck

Students and faculty at Midway High School say they are stunned and devastated by a wreck this past weekend that killed three siblings, one of whom was a freshman.

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NEWTON GROVE, N.C. — Students and faculty at Midway High School say they are stunned and devastated by a wreck this past weekend that killed three siblings, one of whom was a freshman.

Jesus Balderas, 16, died in the single-car collision, along with his brother, Javier Baldera, 22, and sister, Yuliana, 20, Saturday night near Atlanta, where they were visiting friends.

Funeral arrangements are pending, and the school has placed a box in the cafeteria to raise money to help with funeral expenses for the three.

"They need help because that's just – no parent should have to bury their own children," said J.D. Shasky, a friend who had known Jesus Balderas since sixth grade.

"I didn't know how to take it," Shasky said. "I mean, we were all joking around on Friday."

Friends described Balderas as shy, often quiet and always available for friends. He played soccer on the Midway men's team.

"He cared for you," student Kelsey Daswon said. "He was just there, just living life."

"He's the kind of guy that would make you laugh a lot," classmate Araceli Espinoza said. "If you were down, he'd make you laugh – a lot.”

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