The driver of an SUV that hit a tree and killed a 17-year-old passenger has been charged.

Police will announce details of the arrest at a news briefing Friday afternoon.

Julia Romanow, 17, was ejected from the vehicle and died in the crash. (Jacqueline Romanow)

The 2006 Pontiac Torrent crashed into a tree on the 1600 block of Wellington Crescent, near the St. James Bridge, just before 1 p.m. Thursday.

The girl, Julia Romanow, a Grade 12 student at Kelvin High School, was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.

There were two other girls and two boys, all aged 17, in the vehicle, including the driver. All were sent to hospital.

The boys were suffering from non-life-threatening injuries while the girls initially were diagnosed with life-threatening injuries, but later upgraded to stable condition.

All five people were from the same school.

Jacqueline Romanow, Julia's mom, told CBC News on Friday that her daughter loved to travel and was planning to go to Brazil this Christmas. She had also recently been to Mexico, Hawaii and Ecuador.

Some people pause Friday at the makeshift memorial set up at the crash scene. (Angela Johnston/CBC)

She described Julia as having a good heart, being strong-minded and outgoing, and someone who made friends easily.

She is planning to set up a scholarship fund in Julia's name at the University of Winnipeg, where she teaches.

Counsellors at school

Grief counsellors were on hand at Kelvin on Friday, where the school flag was flying at half-mast.

They included psychologists and sociologists trained to help both students and teachers in shock and grief, said Tim Thorne-Tjomsland, director of clinical support for the Winnipeg School Division.

Students are meeting with the counsellors in the school library and according to Thorne-Tjomsland, some are openly expressing their grief through tears and talking.

He said the additional staff will be at the school for the short term but there is also a plan for students who will need help down the road to get the resources they need.

"The plan involves making sure that there are extra staff here to support students who need additional support at this very difficult time," Thorne-Tjomsland said.

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