Thursday, August 27, 2009

Virginia: Alana Michelle Hester, a 17-year-old senior from Amissville, was killed shortly before 5:30 p.m. when she pulled out in front of a dump truck. Alana celebrated her 17th birthday just three weeks ago, and was a senior at Culpeper High School. Police say the truck driver will not be charged with anything.


Culpeper High School senior Kelly Dubell told the Star Exponent newspaper that she's known Hester, a captain on the soccer team, since sixth grade.

"She's always been a close friend of mine," Dubell said. "This is the year that we've gotten really close -- we were so excited about senior year ... She was all around an amazing person. I never saw her upset once; she'd just make anyone's day better."

IOWA: A 15-year-old girl who was a rising rodeo star died on her way home from a volleyball game, and may have been texting at the time of the crash. Alyssa Jo Vanderhof died after she lost control of her pickup truck heading home from a volleball game at her high school in Sioux Rapids. She had a learner's permit that allowed her to drive to and from school. She was not wearing a seatbelt, according to this story in the Des Moines Register. 

The profile in the newspaper story describes Alyssa, also known as AJ, as a girl who was comfortable competing in the man's world of competitive bull riding. She was more comfortable in chaps and a cowboy hat than anything else, but had agreed to wear a dress and high heels for her sister's wedding Saturday. She missed the wedding, and didn't get to wear the turquoise Converse sneakers she'd bought to wear at the reception, because of the accident. Her family went ahead with the wedding, and then held Alyssa's funeral Tuesday.