Howell High School offering counseling, therapy dogs after death of students in crash

Counselors, social workers and therapy dogs are available at Howell High School's campuses this week after two students died in a vehicle crash over the weekend.

The two students killed were identified as junior Josh Pennala and sophomore Len Eskola by Howell High School Principal Jason Schrock.

"We have several counselors and social workers at both the Howell High School 10-12 building and freshman campus who are available for students and staff in need of support due to this terrible tragedy," said Tom Gould, director of public relations for Howell Public Schools, in an email.

There are also therapy dogs on the campuses to provide support to staff and students.

"We are grateful for the outpouring of support from our community looking to support our students, staff and families," Gould said.

Pennala and Eskola were killed when their Ford F-150 pickup struck a Honda Civic late Saturday night in Genoa Township.

After the collision, the F-150 left the roadway and flipped, ejecting both the driver and one of the passengers, according to officials. The ejected teens were pronounced dead on scene.

The remaining teens, including two more passengers in the pickup the 19-year-old South Lyon man driving the Honda Civic, were transported to area hospitals with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Officials said none of the occupants in the F-150 were wearing seatbelts.

The crash remains under investigation by the Livingston County Sheriff's Office.

Contact Kayla Daugherty at 517-552-2848 or kdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KayDaugherty92.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Howell High School grieves loss of students killed in Saturday crash