CHESAPEAKE
Teacher Catherine Albertson still has the 16-year-old's construction paper mosaic she pieced together earlier this year for a project on the Byzantine Empire.
It's a rainbow with a sunshine. "Very girly," Albertson said. "Very Taylor."
Taylor Hayes, a ninth-grader at Western Branch High School, was one of two teens who died in a car accident in Chesapeake on Saturday. Stephanie Barnett, a 2007 Western Branch graduate, also died.
A third person in the car, 15-year-old Jeffrey Prindle, was critically injured but was in good condition at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital on Monday.
Students and teachers remembered them during a moment of silence following an announcement Monday morning, Principal Arthur Brandriff said.
Barnett, 18, was enrolled at Tidewater Community College and wanted to be a history teacher, said her mother, Karen Ferrara.
Barnett was diagnosed with diabetes at age 6 and had volunteered for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation ever since. She would tell other children they could live full lives with the disease even though they felt different.
"She brought comfort to them," Ferrara said.
Most recently, Barnett gave herself shots three times a day and tested her blood four times a day. She graduated from high school a year early with an advanced diploma. When the school system didn't allow her to take senior English during her junior year, she went to night school for it.
"Not to say her grades were the greatest," Ferrara said with a laugh. "She's had a lot of ups and downs" and was one of those teens "who think they know everything."
In addition to her parents and a younger brother and sister, Barnett leaves behind a 6-month-old daughter, Riley.
On Monday, teachers described Taylor as a quiet but bright student who aced most of her assignments. English teacher Chris Wells said the teen excelled in a poetry unit on haiku and wrote many of her own.
Wells did not want to share them until speaking with Taylor's parents but said her writings "revealed an old soul. It was much more reflective than a typical 16-year-old."
Taylor worked at Tastefully Twisted, an ice cream shop in Chesapeake. Wells said the girl sometimes gave her coupons from there.
Albertson taught Taylor social studies, the class where she made the mosaic. "She actually signed my yearbook Friday - 'Thanks to you, I don't hate social studies anymore,' " Albertson said.
Classmates signed a card for Taylor's parents, and one boy wrote that Taylor "was the nicest girl I ever knew. When I moved here a couple of weeks ago, Taylor was the first to speak to me," Albertson said.
Ferrara said Barnett, along with Taylor and Jeffrey, had planned to go to the mall and see a movie Saturday night.
The wreck occurred at 6:14 p.m. on Interstate 664 northbound at the Bowers Hill interchange, near Exit 15 for U.S. 58. Barnett was at the wheel of a Ford Mustang traveling about 75 mph when she apparently lost control, said Sgt. Michelle Cotten, a State Police spokeswoman. The car ran off the side of the road and into a ditch in the highway median before flipping several times.
Contrary to early reports, Jeffrey was wearing a seat belt, Cotten said. The other two were not. They were the second and third Western Branch students to die suddenly since February.
One witness described arriving on the scene minutes after the crash to find one girl in the middle of the highway and another in the culvert. He said he and about a dozen others, including an off-duty paramedic and two nurses, stopped to try to help. The boy was still in the car and seemed trapped by his seat belt.
"Fuel was pouring out of the car," the man said. The boy was able to get out, and three others carried him away from the car.
"It was just helpless. There was nothing anybody could do. God bless the parents. Please tell them we are really sorry we couldn't do more."
The witness, a business owner who lives in Deep Creek, asked that his name not be used because he does not want to appear as "glory-seeking." He had blogged about his experience on PilotOnline.com and later spoke with a reporter. His account was consistent with State Police reports.
Taylor was pronounced dead at the scene. Barnett died later in the evening at Norfolk General.
"I don't know why the kids think it's not cool to buckle up and it's not cool to go the speed limit," Ferrara said. "These girls have paid the price and it breaks my heart. I wish I could turn back the clock. I would give my life to do that."
Kristin Davis, (757) 222-5208, kristin.davis@pilotonline.com
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i loved this girl!
Stephanie was not only my co-worker but she was my friend. She was the sweetest girl i have ever known. No matter who you are if you were having a bad day she could always make you smile. Stephanie got along with everyone she was very big hearted and a very beautiful young girl with with the most unforgetable bright blue eyes. we had many laughs together now i just have many great memories of her she will never be gone to me she is just on vacation for a while. i ask please from now on everyone wear their seatbelts you might say "oh well its not comfortable, or im just going right up the street" but it doesnt matter you might not think it would happen to you but neither did these two young girls. When i get into a car now the first thing i do is put on my seatbelt. i truly feel for these girls familys and expecially stephs young baby. MAY YOU GIRLS REST IN PEACE WE WILL MEET AGAIN! I LOVE YOU STEPH
Prayers
My prayers go out to both familys and a prayer of thanks for jeffs survival. I know jeff and I feel so bad for what he must be going through and what the future holds.
BLAME
Why is it that everytime something like this happens people blame the parents? I am a daughter and a mother and as a teenager I know that there are many things that I was told to do and not to do by my parents. More times than not kids tend to do the opposite of what they should do. I am 100% sure that Stephanie parents did not say "be sure to drive fast and don't forget to NOT where your seat belt!" These girls were probably told to always wear they seatbelt. Unfortunatly these two beautiful girls will become and example. An example that all children and even adults will use to always remember that in a case of man vs machine the machine will get the best of you. Remember To Click it and slowdown!
And stop blaming others and educate! Blame won't do anything to change the situation!
My thoughts and prayers
Are with the parents, famililies and friends. As a mother of two young adult drivers, it is my sincere hope that each and every time my children drive out of my drive-way, that they return safely. That is every parents' prayer. It is sad that not only do the parents and family members have to endure the loss of such special young women but they have to be subjected to ugly and uncalled for comments concerning the seat belts. May God Bless each of you as you grieve and you will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Jeff has been my best friend
Jeff has been my best friend since the sixth grade. His family, Taylor's Family,& Stephanie's Family are all wonderful people. Jeff loved Taylor and he still does. Please pray for their families but leave them alone. Ever since i met taylor she was like a ray of sunshine. She always was laughing giggling and bringing joy to other people. She never was in a bad mood always making me laugh. She's a great girl that made one simple mistake not knowing that it would change her life forever by the way jeff is fine he is out of the hospital and only suffered a slight fracture physically. Emotionally he is bent up about this loss. Ive ridden in the car with taylor and jeff they always buckled up
Loss
My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of those two young girls. There is no greater loss then that of a child. I know first hand. My daughter was killed in 2006 at the age of 19 in a single car accident while away at college. Yes, she like this two beauitful girls was not wearing her seatbelt. To all those out there that are blaming the parents for their children not wearing their seatbelts must not have children of their own. You teach your child about safety, you wear your seatbelt and they have grown up wearing a seatbelt. The last words a child hears is be careful, drive the speed limit and WEAR your seatbelt. You can't be in the car with them to make sure they do. It is a choice that we each make everyday when we get behind the wheel of a car. The best we can hope for is that their friends will now wear their seatblets and think of them each and everytime they fasten them. These two girls will be missed greatly.
Centrifugal force
Ethan, you've got it right. If they had just buckled up, they'd still be here like Jeff, and not thrown from the car as it flipped. Maybe Western Branch physics teachers can use this as a teaching moment to show students what happens when they don't buckle up.
Actually Cara
If you read all of what he wrote and what he was trying to say, he was simply trying to get the crass folks to stop being so harsh on the girls that were lost. In other words, these accidents are so horrific that the jerks that are blaming the girls can't say whether seatbelts would have saved them or not and that it was a horrific accident that killed these girls, not stupidity. He was advocating being cautious for catious' sake. My own brother was thrown from a car, cut in half, had his skull caved in and was killed. His seatbelt did not save him. Don't get me wrong, I always buckle up and insist on my passengers buckling up, but don't be so hard on these young girls or the responder.
Submitted by bhound2 on Mon,
Submitted by bhound2 on Mon, 06/02/2008 at 1:38 pm.
Silcnlayc, have you no heart! Who do you think you are to insinuate blame on anyone
No where have I blamed anyone. Please stop flaming...this is NOT about blame but responsibility of parents who give children a 3 ton vehicle and do not put down bounderies and the law when operating it..
Such A Tragedy
I am so sorry for your loss. My son was a student at Western Branch and passed away suddenly in February, so I know your pain. I wish I could hug the mothers and give them encouragement during this tragic time. No matter how these kids died, a life is gone. My prayers are with the family and may God Bless each and every one of you.
lost of someones kid,sibling,grandchild,mother and friend
Dear Parents and Family,
No one can relate to that level of pain losing life of a
child that YOU brought to this earth,unless someone have personally experienced the same; I said this to say, hold on to your faith,call on him(JESUS)tell him your pain he won't let you down.
The lost of theses beautiful girls have already saved 1000'S of kids lives just by knowing them or hearing about your lost.
CHIC CHILDREN HELPING TO INSPIRE CHILDREN------------We commit to keeping the memory of these beautiful girls alive my campaigning and lobbying to make a difference in teen driving.
FROM MY FAMILY TO YOURS, OUR PRAYS ARE WITH YOU.
Guns don't just "go off by accident."
I concur that a car really is like a gun, and parents not teaching their kids how to handle themselves in a car and with a car means arming them with a deadly weapon that can kill both themselves or others. There are no accidents with guns, and further increasing your injuries because you didn't wear a seatbelt isn't an accident either. Yes, I mourn for the family and friends of the two girls and hope that the boy will use his new chance to be an example to others, but the parents are partly to blame here for not teaching the right amount of responsibility. Sure, you can say "Be careful," but if you haven't taught caution you may as well remove the belts from the car.
THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS
As a father of three, My thoughts and prayers go out to the parents who lost a child. May the Lord keep and Bless You.
As an EMS Provider (18 year vet), It sickens and saddens me to know that this "accident" was 100% preventable. This is happening much to often. EVERYONE has to accept some responsibility for this, from LE, to the parents, to the driver of the car. It is hard truth.
We ALL must DO BETTER to teach, protect and set a GOOD EXAMPLE for our younger generation. PLEASE BE SAFE. John Carey, VB
Re: Ira
Ditto, Ditto, Ditto. Please read Pac2um again and then you will realize you had a lapse in judgement.
Actually, falconski
the person who was first on the scene did say that he had been at "just as many" accidents where people who were buckled in were injured. That did imply that buckling up didn't really make a difference in whether people were injured or killed in car accidents.
Taylor
It is hard to beleive that this beautiful fun girl I saw everyday with her boyfriend is gone. Thier locker is near mine and in the mornings I would sometimes to talk to Taylor and Jeff. This is not the place or time to talk about the mistakes made. You should, instead, be greiving and sending out condolences. It makes me sick to see people writing such cruel things about seat bealts and the speed, the parents and friends of these young people are devastated and the best most of you "commenters" can say is they were stupid because they werent wearing their seatbelts and they shouldnt have been speeding. I see kids walk by their locker crying and it breaks my heart. For any friends or family who are reading I am so deeply sorry, I cannot tell you how sad and upset I am. Those kids were special people and the world is now a little less sunny because they are gone. Please instead of mourning their loss think of all of the good and happiness they brought to all that they touched and the differences they made in soo many people. I am soo sorry, may God be with you in this dark and greivous time.
Sad
My thoughts and prayers go out to all of victims family and friends. Miss Hayes looks famliar maybe it is from the ice cream shop, she seemed to be a real sweet girl.
Who to blame?
I'd put more blame on the state police than the kids or their parents. THey made their own decisions whether or not to buckle up and whether or not to speed. However, a stronger police presence on 664 could have prevented this. At the right time of day, you can get from Portsmouth to Hampton in about 10 minutes. They may as well call it Runway 664. 75 mph is nothing compared to what I saw as a wrecker driver. Weekends? Even worse. It's such a straight road (by comparison) that it's not only easy to speed, but easy to spot a cop sitting on the side of the road running radar miles away.
Say yes to seat belts
My heart goes out to the parent that lost a child unexpectly..As we all say we r on this earth on borrowed time only. It's just sad when some one (the driver) takes that time from you without knowledge. The driver has no control over that seat belt. The passenger does. Seat belts do save lives and take lives. I think the driver and passangers should have put on the belts and things may have or may not have come out different. For some teens, a vehicle is nothing less than a gun...they go off accidently. It's always a mistake. I do agree with the other comment, that if parents decide to give this type of weapon to the child, there is a lot of responsibility to be taken and given. Thats for the parent and the child. I'm a truck driver and I also don't allow any one in my car or semi truck without wearing a seat belt.
First responder comment
I'm so glad to see that someone feels the same way about the Ist responders' comment. I am shocked that a first responder would say that, but I have on the other hand seen firefighter on the license plate and the person driving has no seat belt on, so what does that tell you. I feel for the children's family, but what if the car had clipped an innocent persons car and made them wreck or they flipped over onto an oncoming car, just like the woman did a couple of years ago and killed a little girl and her mother coming from church. I see kids texting while driving as well as teenagers driving like maniacs (as well as adults). We all need to slow down alittle and think about someone other than ourselves. Like someone else earlier said, wherever you're going, it will still be there even if you slow down.