Evanston Township High School mourned today the loss of senior Kevoyn Cox, who died Thursday night after a car accident near the Chicago border.

Superintendent Eric Witherspoon called the 18-year-old’s death a “tragedy in our ETHS family” in a letter on the school’s website.

Cox was in a speeding car that hit a tree after 9 p.m. Thursday in the 2900 block of Howard Street, said Veejay Zala, Chicago Police Department spokesman. The ETHS senior, who lived in the 800 block of Dodge Avenue, was pronounced dead on the scene at 9:48 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Four other people in the car were taken to the hospital in stable condition, Zala said. Some of those injured were Cox’s classmates, according to Witherspoon’s letter.

Officials wouldn’t say this evening who was driving the car.

ETHS students were informed of Cox’s death as they returned to classes this morning from Spring Break, Witherspoon said. The school offered grief counseling and sent a list of crisis support organizations to all classrooms.

“We are hopeful that our injured students will have a speedy recovery,” Witherspoon said. “Our sympathy and thoughts are with Kevoyn’s family.”

Cox’s funeral will be held 11 a.m. Saturday at the First Church of God, 1524 Simpson St.

Jia You contributed reporting.

— Patrick Svitek

This story has been updated with information about Cox’s funeral.