Students at a Winnipeg high school are grieving the death of a student who was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Wellington Crescent on Thursday.

Police confirm that the 17-year-old girl was a passenger in a 2006 Pontiac Torrent that crashed into a tree on the 1600 block of Wellington Crescent, near the St. James Bridge, just before 1 p.m. CT Thursday.

The girl was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said on Thursday night. Next of kin have been notified, they said.

CBC News has confirmed that the deceased is Julia Romanow, a Grade 12 student at Kelvin High School.

Some of her friends gathered at the crash site on Thursday night, lighting candles and saying goodbye to a girl who they described as a soccer player who liked to travel.

Tributes to Romanow also started appearing on Twitter, with some tweets bearing the hashtag #ripjulia.

"RIP Julia Romanow. I didn't know you personally, but my heart and prayers go out to everyone affected by the accident," reads one tweet.

According to police, a 17-year-old boy was driving a 2006 Pontiac Torrent when he lost control of the vehicle, which struck a tree.

Two other girls, both 17, were taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries, both have since been upgraded to stable condition.

Police said the driver and a 17-year-old male passenger both sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Jogger came to aid of victims

Wellington Crescent was closed to traffic between Academy Road and Kenaston Boulevard throughout Thursday afternoon, but police say it has since re-opened.

Shannon Martin said he was jogging in the area during his lunch break when he came across the crash scene.

"Looks like they probably lost control going around the corner and slammed … into a tree, ejecting one passenger and injuring the four others," he said Thursday afternoon.

'It was an overwhelming situation to visually take in and to deal with.'—Shannon Martin

Martin said there was nothing that could be done for a young woman found lying on the road.

"Once I ascertained that she was deceased, I called around to the vehicles that had stopped and asked you know, 'Does anyone have a blanket?' Just to cover up and provide her [with] at least with some measure of dignity," he said.

Martin said he did his best to comfort the two other women he found injured inside the vehicle.

The two men were outside the vehicle, suffering from shock but apparently not seriously injured, he added.

Martin said while he has taken first aid training, nothing prepared him for what he witnessed.

"I'll be honest with you, it was an overwhelming situation to visually take in and to deal with," he said.

People who live near the crash site told CBC News the stretch of road is dangerous.

Winnipeg police are asking anyone who saw the collision or have information about it to call investigators at (204) 986-6271.