Police say she was not speeding and there were no other cars involved. They also say she was not wearing a seat belt.
Her friends say Hicks almost always buckled up, they're not sure if she was distracted and for some reason forgot. Still some of her friends admit they don't always buckle up.
"I've been in a wreck, I've seen people die, friends, family members," friend Matt Russell said. "As teenagers we have so much on our plate. I'm not trying to make excuses but I make it an issue to wear mind but some days it's just a forgetful thing."
A short time after the accident, her friends spray painted a message on Covered Bridge Road in her memory. Tuesday grief counselors will be at Clayton High School to help students deal with the loss.
"When I first got the call. I pulled over on the side of the road and I couldn't believe it," friend Heather Barbour said. "I just didn't know what to do."
"Everyone's going to miss her," Russell said. "Her personality is something we're not only going to miss as friends but the whole school is going to miss."
Hicks worked in the principal's office at Clayton High School. She was supposed to graduate next month. Hicks was planning to go to Johnston County Community College in the fall.
A memorial is planned for Tuesday evening at the high school.
More than 22 teens have died on Johnston County roads over the last 3 years. Clayton High School is where troopers launched their Drive To Live campaign to crackdown on teen drivers earlier this school year.
