Editor’s note: Funeral services have been announced for Breanne Brothers. This story, which was initially published Wednesday at 6:33 a.m., was updated at 2:14 p.m. It was updated again Thursday at 3:52 p.m.

POTTSTOWN PA – A soft glow of candlelight bathed the faces of the grieving Tuesday night (Dec. 15, 2009) at Pottstown High School, as hundreds of students, parents, teachers and community residents assembled to remember Breanne Brothers and Andrea Antonio-Harris, two Pottstown freshmen who lost their lives in an automobile accident last weekend.

The event provided an outlet for shared sorrow, for tears and consolation and, for some, inspiration. “I pray a special prayer of healing and peace over this entire community,” Shaun Olsen, youth pastor of Morning Star Fellowship in Bechtelsville PA, said in remarks to the crowd.

“We went. we cried. We held strangers and cried and prayed with them,” Facebook user Jo Wolfgang wrote this morning (Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009) of the vigil. “Too many children there without the support of their families. Hold your children near, tell your parents you love them. Don’t let one day pass without telling those you love how you feel.”

Vigil-keepers signed over-sized cards addressed to the families of both victims, offering their sympathies and condolences. On popular social media websites like Facebook, YouTube, MySpace and Twitter, videos and other tributes to the two were being continually posted.

Social Media

A 02m25s video titled “In Honor Of Breanne Marie Brothers,” hosted at YouTube, was posted Tuesday at the user account of Lolsmileyface141. To view it below, press the “play” button.

A second video of 03m19s, titled “R.I.P Breanne ‘Beatdown’ Brothers” and also hosted at YouTube, was posted this morning at the user account of EMOKITTYCRUNKatVF. To view it at top, press the “play” button.

Three Facebook-related pages have been established since the accident was reported.

• R.I.P Breanne Brothers and Andrea Marie (1,164 members Wednesday as of 6:33 a.m.)
• R.I.P Andrea Antonio-Harris and Breanne Brothers (471 members Wednesday as of 6:33 a.m.)
• A Facebook tribute was posted by the Upper Pottsgrove (PA) Fire Company.

A MySpace tribute page titled “R.I.P BREANNE BROTHERS [dedicated to lost friend]“ was posted Thursday (Dec. 17, 2009) morning. It had 185 friends as of Thursday at 3:52 p.m.

News Resources

In scanning available news feeds for more information regarding the accident, The Post on Wednesday found these stories for reader reference, listed with the most recent first. These are different from, and in addition to, references provided Tuesday and Monday:

• Call For Action In Wake Of Teen Crash (WTXF-TV Channel 29, Philadelphia PA)
• Hundreds Mourn Teens Killed In Crash (WCAU-TV Channel 10, Philadelphia PA)
• Honoring Their Memory (The Mercury, Pottstown PA)
• Vigil For Students Killed In Crash (WFMZ-TV Channel 69, Allentown PA)
• Memorial Held For Pottstown High Students (KYW-TV Channel 3, Philadelphia PA)

Other Resources

• Pottstown School District Experiences Loss, a written statement from Pottstown High School Principal Stephen Rodrigues.
• Grief Support Resources provided at the Pottstown School District website.

Obituaries

Obituary information became available today for Breanne Brothers. It is still unavailable for Andrea Antonio-Harris.

Investigation

The Montgomery County District Attorney‘s office reports it is continuing to investigate the cause of the one-car accident, which occurred late Saturday night (Dec. 12) on Route 100 north of Farmington Avenue in Upper Pottsgrove (PA) Township. It has not released the names of of four other students injured in the accident; two Pottsgrove High School students are among them. The DA has issued two press release on the incident:

• “Investigation Ongoing in Fatal Crash that Claimed the Lives of Two Teenage Girls on Saturday.”
• “One-Vehicle Double Fatal Crash in Upper Pottsgrove Township Under Investigation”

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