Cedar Rapids middle schooler and his mother among those killed in Friday night crash

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - An eighth grader at Prairie Point Middle School and his mother have been identified as two of the four people killed in a crash in Cedar Rapids on Friday night, according to a letter from the school’s principal.

In the letter, which was addressed to Prairie Point families, Principal Ian Dye said Buruk Mehari and his mother died in the crash.

A GoFundMe identifies Buruk’s mother as Ruth Zewde Tekeste, and says they moved to Cedar Rapids from Cairo, Egypt in 2014.

The crash happened just before 10 p.m. on C Street Southwest near Edison Road. First responders said they received a report of people having been trapped in a vehicle that was on fire after the collision.

The letter from the school said extra counselors would be at Prairie Point for anyone that needs them.

Cedar Rapids police are still investigating the crash and have not confirmed the names of the people that died in the crash. They did, however, confirm that all four of the people involved in the crash died at the scene.

Copyright 2023 KCRG. All rights reserved.