Audubon Community School District Superintendent Brett Gibbs today (Sunday) issued a statement with regard to the tragic loss of two students in a crash Saturday morning on Interstate 80 in Cass County. Gibbs said “The Audubon Community School and the Audubon Community is struggling to come to terms with the tragic loss of Jamison Steckler, an 8th grader and his brother Gavin Steckler, a 5th grader as the result of a car accident yesterday on Interstate 80.

Gavin Steckler

Jamison Steckler (Photos provided by Audubon School Superintendent Brett Gibbs)

At the same time we are trying to find words and deeds to comfort their parents Toby and Pamela Steckler and 4th grade brother Mason who were injured in the wreck.”

Gibbs said “Jamison and Gavin were wonderful students, classmates and teammates who were actively involved in school athletic and music activities. The Steckler family as a whole are very involved in school, community and church activities touching lives throughout the greater Audubon area.

The Audubon Community School Crisis Management team met yesterday (Saturday) to review our crisis training, contact staff members and lay out plans for the upcoming days. The school will be holding an all staff meeting Sunday at 1:00 to walk staff through the crisis plan and to also allow staff members to be together to grieve and comfort each other. Our number one duty will be to make sure that we are prepared for Monday morning as a little over 500 students will be looking to us for help dealing with this terrible loss.”

The Superintendent said also “Starting Monday the school will have a Safe room set up in both District buildings (the boardroom at the 5 – 12 building and the Library at the PK – 4) which will be staffed with school counselors, members of the Ministerial Organization along with professionals from Heartland Area Education Association. A statement will be read to the students at the beginning of the day on Monday concerning the tragedy and detailing the supports that have been put in place for staff and students. As funeral arrangements are made known we will pass those along to students and their families.”

A GoFundMe page has been established to help the family: https://www.gofundme.com/jamison-and-gavin-steckler

The other victim of the crash was 41-year old Rodney Shayne Sanborn, who was a youth coach with the Omaha AAA Hockey Club. Club officials released a statement saying  “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family in this difficult time. He was a valued member of our coaching staff and will be greatly missed.”