Madison High student dies in motor vehicle collision while en route to school

MARS HILL – A female Madison High School student was killed and another Madison High girl is hospitalized after a motor vehicle collision Jan. 30.

The victim, a Madison High senior, died after being struck by a French Broad Electric Membership Corporation utility truck after turning left out of her driveway along N.C. 213, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.

The passenger in the vehicle, also a Madison High senior, was transported to Mission Hospital and is in stable condition after sustaining “some pretty life-threatening conditions,” according to Sgt. P.J. Morgan with North Carolina State Highway Patrol.

The State Highway Patrol said it did not want to release an ID of the student until the organization’s report is official. The family has been notified.

Mars Hill Fire Chief Nathan Waldrop said the department responded to the collision, which occurred in front of Petersburg Transmission, 4368 N.C. 213, just before 7:45 a.m. Jan. 30.

Morgan said the three-vehicle collision involved the French Broad Electric Membership Corporation utility truck striking the side of the student’s vehicle, causing the vehicle to sideswipe another vehicle coming from the opposite direction.

The other two drivers sustained little to no injuries, according to Morgan.

Madison High and Madison Early College High Schools were dismissed early Jan. 30 following the collision.

Superintendent Will Hoffman said “the entire Madison County Schools family is mourning the loss of a bright and promising member of its school community.”

“At this time, we ask that everyone respect the privacy of the family involved,” Hoffman said in a release to The News-Record & Sentinel.

“We have additional counselors available at Madison High School to support our students and staff in this time of grief. Our thoughts and prayers are with the student’s family, friends, and educators. On behalf of Madison County Schools, we express our deepest condolences and offer unwavering support to those affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.

“May the love and support of this community provide some comfort during this incredibly challenging time.”