BROOKLYN - Two 17-year-old students from Harvard H. Ellis Tech High School were killed and a third 17-year-old who attended Killingly High School was hurt in a fiery crash shortly after midnight Monday.

The driver of a pickup truck negotiating a curve on North Society Road just north of the line from Canterbury lost control and hit a guardrail. The pickup fell into a ditch before catching fire, according to state police.

Brenna Ann Larson, of North Grosvenordale, and Shawnna Wojnowski, of Plainfield, died at the scene. Ashley Adamo, of Pomfret Center, was seriously injured.

On Monday morning, Hayley Kuhm, 17, of Brooklyn, and Drew Falconi, 17, of Griswold, two friends and classmates at the Danielson high school, came to the crash site to place a homemade sign they had made.

Decorated with hearts and flowers, the sign said: "Brenna and Shawnna. 10/14/19. You can't forget about someone who gave you so much to remember. We love you both so much. Fly high. Hayley and Drew."

"They loved to hang out with people. They loved to be with people. They were people that you wanted to be around. They were never negative. They were really good people," Kuhm said.

"The entire Ellis Tech Community is in mourning with the passing of Brenna and Shawnna," Ellis Tech Principal Brian Mignault Sr. said in an email Monday afternoon. "They were wonderful students and even better people. They will always be members of the Class of 2020. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and friends."

Earlier Monday, Mignault emailed: "It is with great sadness that we report that two of our students have tragically passed away. Brenna Ann Larson and Shawnna Wojnowski passed away early this morning in a car accident. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and friends. Counseling will be available at Ellis Tech starting Tuesday and will continue as long as necessary."

Wojnowski was a student in the school's automotive program, and Larson was studying collision repair, Falconi said.

Kuhm said she and other students like driving around together.

"We literally like driving in trucks and like doing stuff like that," she said. "We do this stuff because we think it's fun, and then something like this happens, and it's a wakeup call for everybody."

Killingly Superintendent of Schools Steve Rioux said Monday morning he is working with Killingly High School Principal Elise Guari to respond to the crash.

"This is a tragic event that is going to impact all the neighboring towns," Rioux said.

"I'm in shock at the whole tragedy of it," Pomfret First Selectwoman Maureen Nicholson said. She said she didn't know Adamo or her family. "It's just a very tragic situation."

Connecticut's Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona released a statement today regarding the Ellis Tech students: “As you may be aware, two Ellis Tech students died (Monday) morning in a traffic accident. Our hearts go out to the students’ families, friends and the entire community of Ellis Tech and the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System during this difficult time."

According to state police, a 2002 Ford F150 owned by David Adamo, of Pomfret Center, was heading north on North Society Road, just north of Creasey Road in Canterbury when it left the lane, hit the guardrail and continued down into a ditch, where it caught fire.

A Troop D dispatcher said the crash was reported at 12:11 a.m. Police are still trying to determine who was driving, the dispatcher said.

Adamo was brought to Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence. Hospital officials declined to release her condition Monday afternoon.

The crash is under investigation.