Community mourns Sherwood Sr., who died in a car accident

The Sherwood High School community in Sandy Spring is mourning the death of 17-year-old senior Sanaa Vil, who died in a car accident on Norwood Road around 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Two other Sherwood students were also critically injured in the collision, according to Montgomery County police.

According to a GoFundMe organized to support her family, Vil was a member of Sherwood's girls basketball team and an active member of the Black Student Union.

“She was an instant flood of light in the darkest rooms, extremely charismatic, a natural leader and one of the nicest people on the planet,” the Sherwood High School girls basketball team posted on social media. “On the pitch she was the toughest competitor, could beat anyone in the county in an end-to-end race and really found her happy place with the ball in her hands.”

According to the GoFundMe, which was reportedly started by the Vil family, she is survived by her parents and four siblings. As of Thursday morning, the GoFundMe has raised more than $18,880 of its $50,000 goal.

“Sanaa’s family, friends and church community are still in shock over this devastating loss and trying to come to terms with this sudden death,” the GoFundMe organizer wrote. “She should graduate in the spring of 2025 with high hopes of attending college in the fall.”

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) crews responded to 17505 Norwood Road around 8 a.m. Wednesday for a report of a motor vehicle accident involving “multiple patients,” according to radio transmissions. An investigation revealed the vehicle collided with a wooden light pole, according to a news release from Montgomery County Police.

Police confirmed that a 17-year-old girl was pronounced dead at the scene and a 17-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy were taken to hospital in critical condition.

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) spokeswoman Liliana López said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that three Sherwood High School students were involved in the fatal car accident. The area where the accident occurred is less than 1.5 miles from the school.

According to Sherwood High's girls basketball team's social media, another member of the team was involved in the accident and one of the students was injured and will likely face a “long road to recovery” in the future.

In a statement to MoCo360 on Wednesday, MCPS said they are “saddened by the news and are providing support to the students, staff and families affected by this tragic event.”

Related stories