SALT LAKE CITY — Two West High School students were killed and two other people seriously injured in a head-on crash Thursday.
Two cars were traveling north on 300 West near the high school about 11:30 a.m. when one veered across the median, said Salt Lake police detective Robert Ungricht.
"We're looking at the possibility that the two cars may have been racing, but right now we don't know for sure," he said.
Near 720 North, a Chevy Impala swerved for an unknown reason, went over the median and hit a Honda Pilot head-on, Ungricht said.
Two male passengers in the Impala, an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old, were killed. The 18-year-old man driving the Impala was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.
Salt Lake School District spokesman Jason Olsen confirmed the driver and both passengers were seniors at West High School.
"I think it’s very fair to say our hearts are broken over this tragic accident,” he said.
Police said the driver of the Impala suffered injuries not considered to be life-threatening. He and both passengers were all wearing seat belts, said Salt Lake police detective Cody Lougy.
The driver of the SUV, a 32-year-old woman who is six to eight months pregnant, was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, Ungricht said. Her condition was updated Thursday afternoon to serious but stable. The unborn child was also in serious condition but had a "good heartbeat," Lougy said.
Police believe the Impala was traveling about 70 mph in an area with a 35 mph speed limit, according to early reports from investigators.
The only description of the vehicle that was seen next to the Impala is a gray car, Lougy said. The driver of that vehicle did not return to the crash scene. Investigators obtained surveillance video in hopes of finding more detailed information.
Olsen said district officials met with faculty members to talk about the tragedy. They also planned to notify parents through phone calls to inform them of the day's events.
While no names were formally released Thursday, some West High School students took to Facebook to mourn the loss of their friends.
"I'll miss you both tremendously and I'm emotionally in ruins right now," one boy wrote. "You were great people and I'm glad I was able to be friends and know you both. I love you and I'm praying for you all and your families as well as the pregnant woman and her baby that were injured in the crash."
One girl said on Facebook that she was praying for the surviving student, who is one of her friends, to recover from his injuries.
"Stay strong and get well soon," she wrote on Facebook.
A full crisis team is scheduled to be at West High School to help both students and teachers with the incident Friday.
Anyone with information about the car that left the scene is asked to call Salt Lake police at 801-799-3000.
Contributing: Ben Lockhart, Paul Nelson