Families and friends gathered for a candlelight vigil Monday night honoring two Union City teens who were killed in a freeway crash over the weekend.
Joe "Junior" Ioramo and Izaiah Mease, both 17, were killed early Sunday morning when the 2004 Honda Accord driven by Izaiah crashed into a Dodge Ram pickup on southbound Interstate 880 in Hayward.
One other passenger in the Honda was injured, as were the two occupants of the pickup, according to reports. The cause of the crash is being investigated, but initial reports indicated the Honda swerved toward the median and collided with the pickup.
The two James Logan High School students were remembered during the vigil at the Union City campus, where more than 150 of their classmates gathered on the day before classes begin.
Junior's father Joe Ioramo Sr. offered a painful message for parents and students.
"Just don’t take life for granted," he said. "He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Family friends said the boys went out for a late-night snack.
"You want your kids to be independent and explore the world," said Tracie Noriega, Ioramo's former principal at Alvarado Elementary School. "But how do you do that and not want to shelter them when things like this happen?"
District officials said grief counselors will be on the Logan High campus this week.
