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Click here to donate to the Dorwart and Gentile families, so they can bury their children
Wired 96.5 DJ Chio and friends plan to hold a fundraiser for the families of the two Interboro High school students, who were struck by a high-speed Acela train Thursday.
A family friend of one of the girls, whose deaths were ruled suicides by the Delaware County medical examiner, called the DJ and said neither family has the money to bury the teenagers.
So the radio station and some friends said they will try to raise $10,000 for each family's funeral expenses at a fundraiser on March 13 at The Deck in Essington.
Chio said the station will also be out collecting donations at the Roosevelt Mall Monday, March 1 from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and at Interboro High School on Tuesday, March 2 from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wired 96.5 also said it will set up a donation page on its website for the girls' funerals.
In a statement released Saturday night, Norwood Police Chief Mark DelVecchio said Vanessa Dowart, 15, Gina Gentile, 16, and an unidentified witness met up at Norwood Train Station with the “intention of taking their lives.”
DelVecchio said Gentile and the witness left school around 9:30 a.m., walked to the station and sat on the waiting area on the south side.
Police said Dowart texted the witness to wait for her “so she could take her life also.” Dowart met up with the other two girls shortly afterwards.
“Gentile heard a train whistle and immediately stepped onto the tracks,” DelVecchio said. “Dowart ran out and joined Gentile. The witness changed her mind not to do it, yelling at the two to get off the tracks. They refused. Gentile and Dowart embraced and were struck.”
Police received the first call about the incident at 10:33 a.m.
DelVecchio also said text messages between Dowart and the witness minutes before the incident lead him to believe this was not an accident. Both of the teen’s families were notified, according to DelVecchio.
Investigators said they are aware of rumors of an alleged “suicide pact”. DelVecchio urges anyone who has “knowledge of anyone who is talking about suicide, let someone know.”
TOMORROW: We'll be at Interboro High School - 500 16th Avenue Prospect Park, PA 19076-1197 7-9am
WEDNESDAY: We'll be at the Home Depot at 5342 W Baltimore Pike, Clifton Heights, PA 19018 from 7-9am
FRIDAY: Chio will be at Diego's Bar from 9-11pm, 2676 Bridge St in Bridesburg
