DJ to Help Suicide Teens' Families

Friends of the two Interboro High school students who were struck by a high-speed Acela train Thursday are holding a fundraiser to help raise money to bury the girls -- and even the media is getting involved.

A family friend of one of the girls, whose deaths were ruled suicides by the Delaware County medical examiner, called Chio, the morning DJ from Wired 96.5, and asked for his help claiming that neither family had the money to bury their daughters.

Now, the radio station will help friends and family raise $10,000 each for funeral expenses. Aside from raising the funds at a benefit that has been in the works since the day the two passed, Chio said the station will also be out collecting donations at Interboro High School on Tuesday, March 2 from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. They will be outside of the Macy's at the Cherry Hill Mall on Weds. from 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. and on Friday from 9 p.m. until 11 p.m., Chio will be at Diego's Bar.

Wired 96.5 also said it will set up a donation page on its website for the girls' funerals.

The Benefit for the Dowart and Gentile Families will be held at 2 p.m. at The Deck in Essington, Pa. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $30. People under 21 years old can purchase tickets for $20.

In a statement released Saturday night, Norwood Police Chief Mark DelVecchio said Vanessa Dowart, 15, Gina Gentile, 16, and an unidentified witness met up at Norwood Train Station with the “intention of taking their lives.”

DelVecchio said Gentile and the witness left school around 9:30 a.m., walked to the station and sat on the waiting area on the south side.

Police said Dowart texted the witness to wait for her “so she could take her life also.” Dowart met up with the other two girls shortly afterwards.

“Gentile heard a train whistle and immediately stepped onto the tracks,” DelVecchio said. “Dowart ran out and joined Gentile. The witness changed her mind not to do it, yelling at the two to get off the tracks. They refused. Gentile and Dowart embraced and were struck.”

Police received the first call about the incident at 10:33 a.m.

DelVecchio also said text messages between Dowart and the witness minutes before the incident lead him to believe this was not an accident. Both of the teen’s families were notified, according to DelVecchio.

Investigators said they are aware of rumors of an alleged “suicide pact”. DelVecchio urges anyone who has “knowledge of anyone who is talking about suicide, let someone know.”