I originally overheard the news about Lace Peck's death before it was even announced when I was in the counselors office. Thought I'd share. Drunk driving is horrible and those who attempt it should be sent to prison with no mercy, especially if it is underage drinking.

By CARRIE HADERLIE
Boomerang Staff Writer


A one-vehicle crash at Ninth and Russell early Friday morning left one Laramie resident dead and another charged with aggravated vehicular homicide.

Eighteen-year-old Lace Peck, a 2009 graduate of Laramie High School, died at the scene of the accident at approximately 1:20 a.m. Friday, according to the Laramie Police Department. She was one of five passengers in a “modified” pick-up truck that was “not adequate for the number of people that (were) in the car,” Laramie Police Commander Mitchell Cushman said.

The driver of the vehicle, Fredric V. Saccoto, 20, was arrested for aggravated homicide by vehicle, a felony punishable by not more than 20 years in prison.

The Laramie Police Department reported that alcohol was involved. An investigation into the crash is ongoing.


“Five out of the six (people in the vehicle) were thrown out of the vehicle during the accident,” Cushman said. “Three out of those five were transferred to Colorado to a hospital for serious injuries. (Peck) was not included in the three transported to Colorado.”

Saccoto was thrown from the vehicle. One passenger who was not thrown from the vehicle was checked for injuries but did not need to be transported for further care, Cushman said.

Cushman did not release the names of anyone else involved in the crash.

According to previous Boomerang reports, Peck was team captain for the Lady Plainsmen swim team during the 2008-09 season. Laramie High School Principal Kim Sorenson said the high school convened a crisis management team early Friday morning to help other students cope with the tragedy.

“We established a grief room, and we have five counselors on staff at Laramie High School,” Sorenson said. “We called in the services of two counselors from other schools. … and we also had a local counselor who was on our crisis management team who was able to come in (Friday) afternoon.”

Sorenson said the counselors were available for both the students and the LHS staff. “I think sometimes we forget that staff, they had these kids in the classrooms and they are very close to them as well,” Sorenson said.

Students were allowed to stay in the grief room for as long as they needed, Sorenson said. Parents were called, and if students felt they could better cope at home, they were allowed to go home with supervision.

“This is an incredible tragedy for the community, the parents and families,” Sorenson said. "People think that we are such a big town, and I suppose that might be true, if you were from Meeteetse looking at Laramie. But we feel like a small town here. Everybody knows everybody, and this is a terrible thing to have happen in a community.”