(SPRINGFIELD, Mo.) -- Many in our community are mourning the loss of four teens -- killed in a weekend wreck.

The crash happened just east of Springfield where Chestnut expressway turns into Farm Road 132.

James Gangwes, 18, and Zachary Whittet, 17, were seniors at Kickapoo High School. The other two victims, Young Kim, 17 and James Robinson, 16 were juniors at Glendale High School.

School leaders say they were good students with bright futures ahead of them.

It's the messages left behind that are helping many Glendale and Kickapoo High School students remember their close friends.

"This is a very large loss to our whole community. Glendale and Kickapoo are great rivals, but we are a community and we are together in so many ways," said Dave Schmitz, Kickapoo High School Principal.

Gangwes, Kim, Robinson and Whittet were all killed when the vehicle they were in went off the road and hit a tree.

"It's never easy to deal with. There are so many aspects involved. You have first and foremost your students and try to help them deal with a lost that many students didn't have to deal with," said Gary Prouty, Glendale High School principal.

Bryce Hartley grew up with Zachary Whittet. They were neighbors, classmates and best friends.

"Zach was, the best way to describe him is that he was a thrill seeker. He was always doing extreme sports like skate boarding, biking, wake boarding, snow boarding. He was funny. He loved music and he loved the lake," he said.

Kickapoo student, Erin Bloom knew all four boys and spoke to James Gangwes moments before the accident.

"He text messaged me probably about 20 minutes before it happened asking me what I was doing so, I thought of it as any time he texted message me I'd go and hang out with him," said Bloom.

Bloom says returning to school without her best friend will be a difficult challenge.

"It's going to be hard. I was actually a drop out and tomorrow was going to be my first day back and James graduated early and he was actually going to pick me up every single day from my house and take me to and from school so, I mean it's going to be really hard because I talk to him everyday, too. He was like my best friend," said Bloom.

The four victims are also being remembered on the Internet.

Many of their classmates have posted memorial sites in honor of their friends.

Old pictures and stories about the students are helping many of them deal with their loss.

School leaders will meet with staff first thing tomorrow morning. They will discuss a plan on how to address this matter with students.