Students and teachers at Calwell High School are being offered counselling after the weekend's fatal crash that left at least one of its students dead.
The bodies of two girls, aged 14 and 15, were found in the wreckage after the crashed car was spotted in Hume about 8am Sunday.
It had crashed into a tree beside the Monaro Highway, just south of the Lanyon Drive intersection.
A 16-year-old boy was remanded in custody after being charged with culpable driving causing death over the single-vehicle crash.
The teenager was also accused of driving on L-Plates without an accompanying qualified driver, and also with breaching bail conditions after a previous offence.
At least one of the dead girls was a student at Calwell High, and Monday was the first day of the new term.
The ACT Education Directorate called it a "difficult time". A statement said: "ACT public schools are offering extra support to students and families affected by this tragic news."
Flowers were placed at the site of the crash alongside the Monaro Highway. A crucifix was pressed into the side of a tree.
The police called for anyone who had information about the crash to come forward.
Acting Inspector Travis Mills on Monday said the car had not been stolen.
A second boy was in the car at the time but he had not been charged, though police said their investigations were continuing. Detectives were trying to ascertain if a fifth person was also in the car.
"These young girls were going to return to school today," Acting Inspector Mills said.
He added that teenagers should not get into a car if they thought it was unsafe.
"I would urge passengers to ask before jumping into a vehicle."
Speaking generally, he added: "Our kids are smart.
"It's just that they need to be thinking and behaving in such a way which results in them arriving home safely," he said.
He re-emphasised passengers should refuse to get into cars they feared might be unsafe.
On Monday, police were uncertain of the exact time of the crash.
They were called at around 8am on Sunday but the accident may have happened much earlier. Detectives did say, though, they thought it was on Sunday, implying it had happened after midnight.
The two teenage passengers were thought to have died some time before police and ambulance crews arrived at the scene. The wreckage was such that officers couldn't initially ascertain the make of the car.
Acting Detective Inspector Brian Tadic said the impact was "severe". There was a heavy downpour of rain throughout Saturday night.
As emergency workers dealt with the aftermath and then detectives examined the scene, the northbound lane of the Monaro Highway was closed for most of the day.
The crash takes the number of road deaths in the ACT this year to 14, compared with 11 for all of last year.
Two weeks ago, a 19-year-old woman on an electric scooter died after being hit by a car outside the Namadgi School in Kambah.
Police said she had been "thrown a substantial distance across the intersection". She was not wearing a helmet.
On August 29, two vehicles crashed head-on on Sulwood Drive in Kambah.
The 42-year-old driver of a Volkswagen was trapped in the vehicle but died at the scene.
The woman driving the other car, a four-wheel-drive, was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
It's not clear why the toll of road fatalities has jumped so much. It may be that last year was a low year because COVID lockdowns kept people off the roads. It may also be that the torrential rain this year has made driving conditions worse.
Police have asked anyone who might have information about the latest crash to contact them.
"Anyone who witnessed the car leave the road or who drove past the collision site and saw the vehicle prior to 8am on Sunday is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers ACT website," a police statement said. "ACT Policing urges all road users to slow down and drive to the conditions."
- with Hannah Neale
