By Jessica Rush w/Plano Star

Several area teens were injured in a three-vehicle accident Thursday night that killed 19-year-old Steven Kendall. Kendall was a student at Plano East Senior High.

The wreck happened around 11:30 p.m. Feb. 3 as the group of teenagers was traveling southbound on Interstate 35 in a 2008 Nissan Altima. As the car reached the city limits of Austin near Pflugerville, the driver of the Nissan lost control and collided with a freight truck in the center lane, a Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson said.

The Nissan was pushed into the retaining wall. A third vehicle, a 1998 Toyota, collided with the freight truck and went into a ditch. The drivers of the 18-wheeler and Toyota were not injured, but Kendall died at the scene.

The driver of the Nissan and two other passengers in the car with Kendall were injured and taken to St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center in serious condition. The three 19-year-olds are Chad Leslie of Murphy, Gabriel Samuel-Ezeugoh of Coppell and driver Shiv Patel of Richardson. All four teens were wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.

The crash is thought to be weather-related, as it had just started to sleet and roads were icy around the time of the accident. The cause of the wreck is still under investigation by DPS.

News of the fatal car crash spread quickly among the community on Facebook, where friends have begun to post their farewell messages and memories of the Plano teen.

DPS spokeswoman Lisa Block urged drivers to take caution on the roadways, even as the weather begins to appear better.

“We just want to encourage everyone to stay home if they can,” Block said. “Especially be careful in shaded areas and overpasses where the ice may not be melted.”