In tragedy, 2 lives linked for eternity

LILLIAN GRACE was to be born at 7:30 a.m yesterday, just a week before her mother, Nicolette Pomon, was to celebrate her 18th birthday.

But 15 hours before Pomon was to be induced into labor, when they would finally see each other's faces for the first time, the two left this world just as they had lived in it for the last nine months - together.

"I'm still trying to make sense of it all, and it's just not happening for me," friend Marissa Eldridge said. "I'm sure that little girl is nothing less than the most beautiful angel."

Pomon, 17, of Downingtown, and Lillian Grace were killed when the car in which they were riding collided with a school bus on Route 282 in East Brandywine Township, Chester County, about 4:40 p.m. Tuesday.

Pomon was the passenger in a 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser driven by her friend, Meghan Obendorfer, 18, of Downingtown. Obendorfer was traveling west on Route 282, also known as Creek Road, when her car fishtailed on the winding, wet roadway, police said.

As the car turned sideways, an eastbound bus barreled into the passenger's side of the car, police said.

Pomon and her unborn child were pronounced dead at the scene, said Sgt. Gene Babetski, of the East Brandywine Township police.

Obendorfer was taken to Reading Hospital, where she was listed in stable condition yesterday.

The lone occupant of the bus, driver Steven Dilworth, was treated at Brandywine Hospital and released.

Babetski said that Tuesday's rainy weather was "probably a contributing factor," but he noted that further investigation will provide the rest of the story.

Police said that it was too soon to tell if either vehicle was speeding or if either driver would face criminal charges.

All involved were believed to have been wearing seat belts, Babetski said.

The news of the deaths was particularly hard for Eldridge, a 19-year-old mother who had advised Pomon throughout her pregnancy.

Pomon, a senior who had attended Downingtown East High School before transferring to Chester County High School, in Downingtown, had reached out to Eldridge after learning that she was pregnant.

Eldridge, who graduated last year from Bishop Shanahan High School, in Downingtown, spent her senior year pregnant as well, and met Pomon through mutual friends.

"I was excited for her, but she was scared as hell," Eldridge said. "I told her it was tough but she could do it."

Many of those fears seemed to melt away as Pomon approached yesterday, Eldridge said.

"She was very excited, especially on Tuesday," Eldridge said.

"She was saying 'I'm so excited, but I'm so nervous.' It was all hitting her at once."

The young women would go shopping together at Babies "R" Us and exchanged daily baby updates by text messages, Eldridge said.

Pomon never considered dropping out of school when she learned she was pregnant, Eldridge said, and she even planned to start at Delaware County Community College next spring.

The baby's father, a 2008 Shanahan graduate, and Pomon were still dating, Eldridge said.

Pomon decided to name her baby Lillian Grace because Lillian was the name of a friend's sister and Grace was the name of Pomon's mother, Eldridge said.

Danielle Fragale, who threw Pomon's baby shower, remembered taking Pomon to her first haunted house last year and taking her to church with her on many occasions.

"She found the grace of God in all that she did," Fragale said.

"[Her] smile brightens the world that I live in and I can't get it out of my head."

Katie Giattini, 17, a junior at Downingtown East, met Pomon in a history class. She said that she learned of her friend's death through Facebook postings Tuesday night.

By last night, two memorial Facebook pages dedicated to Pomon and her daughter had a total of more than 500 members.

"She had this sort of personality that just made me feel good," Giattini said. "It's kind of an aura you just wanted to be around.

"I learned a lot from her on how to be cool," she said. "She was someone I really looked up to."

Giattini said that the halls of Downingtown East were filled with "a lot of silence" yesterday.

At a memorial at the crash site, a few teddy bears and a bouquet of flowers sat on a muddy bank on the side of the road. One friend left lilies.

Now, all those who were planning to go to the hospital yesterday to visit mother and child must prepare a funeral.

"Nikki was not only one of the strongest people I know, but she was going to be the most beautiful mother there was," Fragale said.

"Lillie would have been nothing but lucky to have Nikki as her mother." *

Staff writer Stephen Zook contributed to this report.