Teen Twins Killed During Crash on Canadian Olympic Bobsledding Course

Teenage twin brothers died during a crash on an Olympic bobsledding course after hours in Canada Saturday.

The brothers, Jordan and Evan Caldwell, 17, entered the Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta, with at least six other friends to try out the bobsled track on a personal sled after the park had closed, according to CNN. The park in Calgary was used as a part of the 1988 Winter Olympics, and it currently is being used as both a training facility and a recreational facility for public use. It is not yet clear why the group of teenagers decided to sled on the course after operating hours, although authorities have said that at least some of the teens were former employees of the park.

"Part way down, the group hit a large gate used to separate the bobsled and luge tracks," police said in a statement, CNN reported.

Jordan and Evan were killed in the crash, and six of their friends sustained varying degrees of injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

"We were reminded today that life is but a vapor. Life is precious, life is fragile, and we must redeem the time we're given," the twins' family members said in the statement, the New York Daily News reported. "Our boys Jordan & Evan were bright lights to all who knew them. We are grieving their loss but confident in their new home of heaven. Our brief 17 years with them were a gift: filled with much love, laughter, and fond memories. They leave a huge void and will be sorely missed."

Police and investigators are seeking to determine how and why the teens entered the property with the intent to take a personal sled down the course, and WinSport, the company that operates the facilities, is cooperating in the investigation, according to CNN.

Evan and Jordan reportedly were straight-A students who were heavily involved in their high school. Evan had been taking pre-engineering classes and had received a full scholarship to Queen's University, and he spent much of his time volunteering to aid Syrian refugees at a welcoming center in Calgary, according to the Calgary Herald. Jordan was the student council president and was well-known for his morning announcements issued over the PA system at Calgary's Westmount Charter School.

“Evan and Jordan were two of Calgary’s finest,” their parents said in their statement.

—

Follow Kathryn Blackhurst (@kablackhurst) on Twitter

—

Front-page image via Shutterstock