Funerals set for 2 high school girls in fatal wreck; school braces for emotional return from spring break

The halls at Egyptian High School in Tamms, Illinois, are quiet this week as faculty, staff and students observe their spring break. But when the school reopens Tuesday, reality will set in. Students will realize two of their classmates aren’t returning from spring break.

Those two students, Kaylyn Mouser, 16, and Ajaiyah Jones, 15, died Sunday afternoon in a motor vehicle accident on Grapevine Trail in Alexander County. According to the Illinois State Police, the accident happened at approximately 3:30 p.m. when the westbound 2005 Toyota driven by Mouser crossed the center line and collided with an oncoming 2017 Nissan Versa driven by Teresa Strong, 50, of Metropolis, Illinois. She and her passenger, Sidney Strong, 20, also of Metropolis, were transported to a Cape Girardeau hospital for treatment of their injuries.

Services for Mouser and Jones will be held later this week.

Egyptian High School principal Bret Gowin told the Southeast Missourian he knew both girls well. Mouser was a member of the girl’s basketball team while Jones was a school cheerleader during her freshman year.

“They were really close to each other,” Gowin said. “They socialized with others and got along with most everybody.”

With an enrollment of just more than 90, Egyptian is a close-knit school.

“As small as we are, it’s hard not to know everybody,” Gowin said.

“We are very concerned for the families and the loss of these students,” he continued. “And we’re also concerned about the emotional state of the students left behind.”

Gowin said the school will have grief counselors available “to come in and try to make things as normal as possible, but in this situation, it wont get back to normal right away.”

Other schools also are assisting Egyptian. For instance, at nearby Meridian School District in Mounds, Illinois, junior/senior high principal Maryanne Boren has offered support resources to Egyptian High School.

“We have offered our counselors and a blanket statement of support,” she said. “If they need anything, we will try to help.”

Boren noted Meridian has a section in its library on grief and trauma support for all ages.

“Meridian is becoming a trauma-informed school, so all of our staff will be equipped to deal with students who are dealing with trauma,” she said.

Visitation for Mouser is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Road Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau, with service to follow. Visitation for Jones will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, also at the Ford and Sons Mount Auburn, followed by her service.

jwolz@semissourian.com

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