CINCINNATI -- Hundreds of people walked in a graveyard Sunday morning, hoping to stop more young lives from being cut short.
The seventh annual Walk of Angels 5K, held at historic Spring Grove Cemetery, honors three teammates killed two years apart.
In May 2007, 14-year-old Lauren Dietz and 15-year-old Miranda Phelps were killed in a car crash on Buell Road in Colerain Township. In June 2009, their friend 17-year-old Jessica Phillips was killed when she crashed on Interstate 275 near the Colerain Avenue exit.
Miranda Phelps and Lauren Dietz
All three girls were members of the Corpus Christie Athletic Association's Blaze soccer team.
Sunday's course went past two of the girls' grave sites.
The walk raises funds for two good causes: the Driving Angels safety driving educational course, and helping athletes who want to play soccer at a competitive level but can't afford it.
The Driving Angels program at Northwest High School and has expanded to Colerain High School. Girls from McAuley High School also have taken part.
Hamilton County's Juvenile Court Diversion Program also offers the driving course for teens who get a traffic citation.
Jessica Phillips
Driving Angels organizers expect to have helped 1,500 teenagers by the end of the year.
Brody Armstrong, Lauren Dietz's younger brother, said his sister would be proud.
"I mean, anything that goes towards keeping people safe and making sure that everyone on the roads, especially, are able to drive safely and not get into a major car accident -- it's a great cause," he said.
For more information, visit the Driving Angels Facebook page.
