The tragic death of a local high school student, Robert Orlando at San Ramon Valley High School leaves the town of Danville and San Ramon in disbelief.

    Robert Orlando was killed on the night of August 26, when the car he was riding in struck a tree.

    Orlando, known as “Chop” by his friends, was going to be starting senior year at SRV the next day.

    Bobby Davani, a sophomore at SRVH described the effect of the tragedy on the students and how they dealt with his sudden death.

    “It hit everyone pretty hard, especially the seniors,” he said. “But it did bring them together and all of us too, making us realize how lucky we are to have each other, and instead of mourning Chop, we celebrated his life,” he said.

    The driver suffered a few broken ribs while the other passenger had broken a leg- they are both also seventeen year olds.

     A candlelight vigil was held on August 29 after the tribute that took place at the school. Students attended and wore green and yellow- the school colors- in honor of Robert.

    Kiana Smith, a fellow senior here at MV shared her personal view on the event.

    “The tragedy was a reality check and gave us a perspective of how we all have to start dealing with life now,” she said.

    Along with the candlelight vigil, other schools participated in the remembrance of Robert. Rick Emerson performed a rap dedicated to Orlando alongside singers Emily Haworth and Jenna Turley. On August 29, students at San Ramon, Monte Vista, California and Dougherty high schools all wore green, yellow, and white to honor Orlando’s memory.