Lane divider installed on Dravosburg road after deadly school van crash that killed 15-year-old girl

DRAVOSBURG, Pa. — “I know she’s smiling down on all of us.”

Samantha Kalkbrenner’s close friends and her mom watched as crews installed a lane divider on Richland Avenue in Dravosburg.

They all wore their “Smiling for Sam” sweatshirts.

>> ‘Heart of her class’ Serra Catholic High School remembers student killed in crash in Dravosburg

“Our memories that we had, it’s like they don’t go away. But it’s hard to keep them and not get upset. Some are happy thoughts, but others are like…wow,” Alyssa Bevan told Channel 11.

Bevan is talking about the day she lost her best friend of more than a decade.

Sam was killed while on the way to Serra Catholic High School, after police say two men were racing along Richland Avenue. One of the cars hit the school van that Sam was inside of.

Three months later, crews put in the divider to make the busy road safer.

“Even though it took a while for everything to happen, even before her accident, there were previous accidents and previous deaths on this road. It’s good something is finally being done about it,” Bevan said.

>> Channel 11 speaks to family of 15-year-old Serra Catholic cheerleader killed in school van crash

There are also plans to put up a stoplight this upcoming spring. They hope that the improvements could play a role in preventing another senseless loss.

“I know she’s smiling down even though we miss her. It’s something good though,” she added.

One of the two men charged in Sam’s death is facing a murder charge and is still in jail. The other is out on bond.

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