Community mourns death of sophomore
Hillary Brady
Issue date: 11/24/09 Section: News
11/24/09 - The University of Rhode Island students and faculty are mourning the loss of sophomore Erica Rose, who died in a car accident on Route 10 in Cranston, R.I., Friday night.
Rose, 19, a sophomore education major from Coventry, R.I., was a passenger in the car when it swerved into the median and hit the guardrail. The car skidded across two northbound traffic lanes and stopped in the breakdown lane at around 1:30 a.m., according to an article in the Providence Journal.
The driver, URI student Sonny Pham, 19, of Foxboro, Mass., was uninjured and the other passenger, URI student Valerie Goulet, of Milford, Mass., sustained only minor injuries. None of the passengers in the car were wearing seatbelts, the state police told the Providence Journal.
Pham failed two sobriety tests taken that morning and was charged with drunk driving. He was released on a bail of $15,000 with a surety and was prohibited by the judge from drinking alcohol-a condition that would revoke his bail, the Projo said.
Meanwhile, the friends and family of Rose, both on and off campus, are mourning the death of a woman they all remembered as having a bright smile.
Rose attended Coventry High School, where she was an active student and athlete. She was elected to be on the school's social committee and helped plan school dances, including her senior prom.
"She was very popular and well liked and an all-around great kid," Matthew Brissette, Coventry High's senior class advisor, said.
Rose's high school social studies teacher, Kelly Erinakes, remembers her as a bright student who was "caring to those around her" and "befriended everyone."
Rose was also an avid softball player, participating in her school's team and in the Coventry Girls Softball League, where she played in both in state championships and national softball tournaments, typically as a second baseman.
"Erica is one of those kids who always had a smile on her face, no matter what the situation was on the field," Randy Wilson, president of Coventry Girls Softball League, said.
Rose, 19, a sophomore education major from Coventry, R.I., was a passenger in the car when it swerved into the median and hit the guardrail. The car skidded across two northbound traffic lanes and stopped in the breakdown lane at around 1:30 a.m., according to an article in the Providence Journal.
The driver, URI student Sonny Pham, 19, of Foxboro, Mass., was uninjured and the other passenger, URI student Valerie Goulet, of Milford, Mass., sustained only minor injuries. None of the passengers in the car were wearing seatbelts, the state police told the Providence Journal.
Pham failed two sobriety tests taken that morning and was charged with drunk driving. He was released on a bail of $15,000 with a surety and was prohibited by the judge from drinking alcohol-a condition that would revoke his bail, the Projo said.
Meanwhile, the friends and family of Rose, both on and off campus, are mourning the death of a woman they all remembered as having a bright smile.
Rose attended Coventry High School, where she was an active student and athlete. She was elected to be on the school's social committee and helped plan school dances, including her senior prom.
"She was very popular and well liked and an all-around great kid," Matthew Brissette, Coventry High's senior class advisor, said.
Rose's high school social studies teacher, Kelly Erinakes, remembers her as a bright student who was "caring to those around her" and "befriended everyone."
Rose was also an avid softball player, participating in her school's team and in the Coventry Girls Softball League, where she played in both in state championships and national softball tournaments, typically as a second baseman.
"Erica is one of those kids who always had a smile on her face, no matter what the situation was on the field," Randy Wilson, president of Coventry Girls Softball League, said.
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