A sea of white jerseys filled the Rancho Cotate High School quad Friday night as about 100 students gathered to honor 17-year-old Niko Vargas Ortiz.
According to the Press Democrat, the emotional vigil followed a devastating week for the community after a suspected DUI crash in Novato claimed Niko’s life and left four other teenagers injured. The tragedy occurred just days after the school participated in “Every 15 Minutes,” a program designed to warn students about the dangers of impaired driving—a coincidence many students found too surreal to believe.
District officials have flooded campuses with mental health counselors, chaplains, and service dogs to support grieving students who grew up alongside the victims. While four survivors remain in stable condition, police expect the teenage driver to face charges once released from the hospital.
Superintendent Maite Iturri says the focus now turns to long-term healing and finding more effective ways to teach students that they aren’t indestructible.
