Orange County students grieve loss of classmate
HILLSBOROUGH, NC (WTVD) -- Students at Orange High School are mourning the loss of a classmate.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol says 16-year-old Melody Ann Overman of Hillsborough died around 7:30 Friday morning when her grandmother's minivan was hit head-on by a pickup truck that crossed the centerline on NC Hwy 86.
Overman's grandmother, 65-year-old Terry Ezell Overman, remains in critical condition at Duke University Medical Center.
Classmates and teachers at Orange High school describe Melody as a quiet and sweet girl who loved to draw.
"We were in the classroom and she was so nervous to go up front of the class. I would go up there with her and just stand with her while she reads and just let her know that I'm there to support her regardless," recalled classmate Amber Moore.
"Melody was such a sweet child and she didn't talk much. She was very quiet. Often times in the morning when I would come in she would be standing outside my office, and she would just sit there by herself, and I'd say 'Good morning' and she would just give me a smile. She wouldn't even say anything back so just give me a smile," said Principal Jason Johnson.
Troopers have identified the driver of the truck that hit Melody and her grandmother as 20-year-old Jesse Dale Weeks of Cedar Grove. The investigation into the cause of the crash continues.
