NC Wesleyan memorial honors 4 students killed in wreck
ROCKY MOUNT (WTVD) -- Four college freshmen killed in front of NC Wesleyan College's campus are being remembered as a happy group that had already made an impression on fellow students.
Around 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Rocky Mount Police and the Nash County Sheriff said the four were coming back to campus from dinner. When they made a left turn toward campus, they were hit by an oncoming SUV.
A memorial was held on Wesleyan College's campus Wednesday evening at the Dunn Center to honor the lives of Donesha Scott, 19, of Raleigh, Robyne Barnes, 20, of Conway, Kandis McBride-Jones, 20, of Littleton, and Quedeshia Brown, 20, of Henderson.
So far, ABC11 has been able to talk to the family of Kandis McBride-Jones. Her cousin, Nekia Jones says Kandis loved children. She said her cousin even helped take care of her little brother while growing up and that she was hesitant to leave her family for college, but eager to start her path toward becoming a pediatrician.
Kandis had also just celebrated a birthday on March 6, surrounded by family.
The driver of the other vehicle has been identified as 55-year-old David Lee Pitt Jr. of Rocky Mount. He was taken to UNC Hospital for treatment but is no longer listed as a patient.
Before the memorial began, Dewey Clark, the president of Wesleyan College spoke about the accident.
ORIGINAL STORY: Four dead in crash in front of NC Wesleyan College
"It is our greatest tragedy in the history of our school," said President Clark, who has since visited and prayed with all four of the families.
"I'm a father I have two children, I've lost a child, I know what this is like I've been through it before, so I wanted to be there for them, answer any questions, just show them that we're deeply sorry," Clark said.
President Clark said the deaths hit the tight-knit, small college of 900 students hard. He said many of his students have never experienced a loss like this.
Friends of the young women say despite being freshmen, the group was already well known and well liked on campus.
"I knew all of them well," said Wesleyan senior Darryl Hamilton Jr. "Now on this campus there is a unity, there is a oneness that has come as a result of this tragedy, if there is any good that can come from this, I think that would definitely be one."
The four lived in the same dorm and their resident advisor, Rhoda Agyie, talked about how the group was always together and laughing.
"If there is any rule that they broke, I think it's just noisemaking because they would laugh so much and they would make me laugh," Agyie said. "'They were kind, they were fun to be around, they were sweet girls, this broke my heart."
Members of the community also attended Wednesday's memorial service. Evangeline Brown says she lives in Battleboro and drives Wesleyan Boulevard all the time. She remembers the talk in her neighborhood from people who had driven by the campus and saw the aftermath of the crash. When she learned that four young lives had been lost, the reality settled in for her.
"I have children, I have grandchildren. I think, my granddaughter was in college, my daughters were in college, it could have happened at any time to them," she said. "Everybody is going to be touched by this, this is just going to be something we'll remember for a long time."
Kandis McBride-Jones' family has started a GoFundMe page to help pay for her funeral expenses.
UPDATE - Friends and family gathered to honor the life of Kandis McBride-Jones Friday March 25. Her funeral is set for Saturday. Her cousin Nekia Jones said they've been able to raise more than half of their fundraising goal for the services thanks in large part to anonymous donors. She said while the family is hurting, they are so grateful for the support of the community.
