A small community east of Ottawa is grieving the deaths of two local teens who were killed when their pickup truck slammed into a parked tractor trailer on a road in Nation Township.

Garett Allen, 18, was driving with his girlfriend, Naomi Theoret, 17, on Concession Road 2, near County Road 10, when their vehicle crashed into a big rig that was parked on the road, blocking the westbound lane.

Police say no lights, flares or brightly coloured cones were placed on the road to warn oncoming traffic of the blocked lane. Both teens were killed; their vehicle left mangled.

"We were just finishing our day. And we didn't know the trailer was on the road. I don't know how come . . . but an accident I guess. But I'm really sorry for those parents, what they can feel right now," said Jocelyne Cadieux, who lives near the crash site.

The deaths of the two Nation Township teens sent a wave of despair through the community.

Allen recently graduated from Vankleek Hill Collegiate. A flag at the high school flew at half-mast on Tuesday.

"He's just a big guy and he was like, everyone loved him at our school," said friend Trisha Overbest.

"This whole town's going to be heart-broken. We're all in a mess," added Matthew Tom.

Theoret went to high school in Hawkesbury. She also worked at Herb's Travel Plaza, where co-workers were struggling to come to grips with the news.

"Lots of people working around her that loved her and they're taking it very hard," said co-worker Nathalie Vink.

Police are still investigating the crash. So far, no charges have been laid.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Stefan Keyes