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Grief counselors to be at DeKalb school following teacher's death

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Grief counselors are on site at Lakeside High School, following the death of a beloved teacher in a crash while driving to prom.

Along with counselors, a sign greeted students at the high school Monday, saying “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Ms. Leah O’Brien.  The entire Viking nation is mourning the loss of one of our best."

Lakeside High School teacher Leah O’Brien died in a wreck on Scott Boulevard in Decatur Saturday night.

Decatur police said 33-year-old O’Brien was turning left from Ridley Circle onto Scott Boulevard. Police say teens driving a Dodge Charger to the same prom T-boned O’Brien’s Hyundai Sonata.

O’Brien was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Her 8-year-old daughter was in the car with her and remains in critical condition.

Channel 2’s Jessica Jaglois spoke to a neighbor who said the teens were in shock.

“They were very distraught,” Darnyl Katzinger said.

Katzinger lives next to where the crash happened and said she rushed outside and found two teens in shock.

“Both of them kept repeating 'why did she have to pull out in front of us?’” Katzinger said.

The teens were not hurt.

“There’s a lot of ripple effect that's going to happen from this,” Jason Clyne said.

The principal told Channel 2 Action News Sunday afternoon the teens who hit her were students at Lakeside, where she taught family and consumer science.

“The more interesting fact, Ms. O’Brien was a FCCLA chairperson. She sponsored that club. These kids were both in that club,” the principal said.

The teens and O’Brien were heading to the Fernbank Museum of Natural History for prom, which O’Brien was set to chaperone.