Heritage High School teacher killed in traffic accident

Staff members and students of Heritage High School are reacting with shock and sadness to the news today that one of the school's teachers died over the weekend in a traffic accident.

Caitlin Cascella, an English teacher at the school, was identified as the deceased in an email sent to staff members by school principal Frank Arce, confirmed Candace Reines, deputy superintendent for the Perris Union School District. A parent of one of Cascella's students told Menifee 24/7 that students were informed during school hours.

School and PUHSD officials said they could not confirm details of the accident. One unconfirmed report linked Cascella's death to a head-on collision caused by a wrong-way driver on Interstate 10 in Quartzsite, Arizona on Saturday. The names of three women who died in that crash have not been released.

"It is with deepest regrets and an overwhelming sadness that I share with you that over the weekend, one of our teachers, Ms. Caitlin Cascella, passed away in a tragic car accident," Arce wrote, in part, in the email to staff members. "The crisis team will be deployed to Heritage High School to help support students who might need crisis intervention help in coping with this.

"I want to share that this is truly a tragic and saddening accident. Caitlin was very actively involved in our campus in support of students. The amount of things she did for our school, our staff, and our students are countless. She will be deeply missed by everyone.

"On a side note, Caitlin was a very big part of the fabric of our school culture. It is shocking and incomprehensible that she is no longer with us. I want to take this time to remind you all that your commitment to our students and are school is truly valued, and remind you once again to embrace your loved ones a little tighter tonight. I know we all wish we had the opportunity to say that to Ms. Cascella one last time."