Southern Alberta Mustangs Junior Hockey/Facebook (3)
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Three teen hockey players die in a car crash while on their way to practice
JJ Wright, Cameron Casorso and Caden Fine were identified as the victims
The athletes were between 17 and 18 years old
Three teen hockey players died following a car crash on their way to practice in Canada.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith confirmed the deaths of JJ Wright, Cameron Casorso and Caden Fine in asocial mediapost on Monday, Feb. 2.
"Alberta is heartbroken at the loss of three young hockey players," she wrote, adding that the three "tragically lost their lives while travelling to practice with the Southern Alberta Mustangs junior hockey club."
Her Instagram post included a photo of the victims' three hockey jerseys and hockey sticks.
The incident happened at an intersection with Highway 2 in Stavely, which is approximately an hour's drive south of Calgary,the Associated Pressreported, citing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Two of the victims were 18-year-olds from Kamloops, British Columbia, and a 17-year-old from Alabama, the RCMP said.
PEOPLE reached out to the RCMP for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
According to police, the crash involved a northbound semi truck and an eastbound passenger vehicle. The truck driver, a 40-year-old man from Stavely, sustained minor injuries, the RCMP said, per the AP.
"My deepest condolences are with their families, teammates, coaches, billet families and the entire community of Stavely and surrounding area as they grieve this unimaginable loss. The whole Alberta hockey family is standing with you in sorrow and in prayer," Smith wrote on Instagram.
"Thank you as well to the first responders and medical teams who rushed to help. In the days ahead, I know Albertans will wrap these families and this team in love and support as they navigate a pain no one should ever have to bear," her post concluded.
AGoFundMe, which used the same photo of their jerseys as Smith's post, was created "to help lift the financial burden of travel, funeral costs, and day to day expenses of the players families from Canada and the United States."
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As of Monday evening, nearly $8,000 had been donated to the fundraiser, which has a goal of $28,000.
TheKamloops Minor Hockey Associationcalled the deaths of Wright, Casorso and Fine "heartbreaking," noting that Wright and Casorso "grew up in our association."
"Although their journeys began here in Kamloops, they found a second hockey family and a new bond with the Southern Alberta Mustangs. We stand in solidarity with the Mustangs organization as they navigate this devastating tragedy," a statement read.
"Our thoughts are with the Casorso, Wright, and Fine families. These three young men were teammates and friends to many. We are grieving together, as one hockey family forever changed by the loss of these young men," the statement concluded.
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