An Alabama high school graduate tragically died in a horrific car crash during her drive to college orientation.
Rylie McGill, 18, recently graduated from Blount High School and earned a full ride scholarship to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, separate from the main flagship campus in Tuscaloosa.
The 18-year-old was driving early Tuesday morning on I-65 near Bay Minette, heading to campus to meet her new roommates and see her dorm, when her car ‘left the road’ and hit a tree, police said.
‘A single-vehicle crash that occurred at approximately 4.45am Tuesday, June 2, has claimed the life of a Mobile teen,’ the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency told the Daily Mail.
‘The 18-year-old was fatally injured when the 2016 Hyundai Elantra the juvenile was driving left the roadway and struck a tree. The teen was pronounced deceased at the scene.’
No additional information about the tragic crash has been released as the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Highway Patrol Division continues its investigation.
‘She had so many things that she wanted to do,’ McGill’s grief-stricken mother, Kristin Carroll, told Fox10.
Recent Blount High School graduate Rylie McGill died in a tragic car crash on Tuesday (pictured here at her high school graduation)
The 18-year-old was driving early morning on I-65 near Bay Minette, heading to campus to meet her new roommates and see her dorm
‘Her biggest goal was she wanted to be a journalism professor. She wanted to write. She just loved writing. She loved helping people,’ she added.
Carroll said McGill leaves behind five brothers, grieving the tragic loss of a sister they adored.
The aspiring writer graduated from high school with honors and took part in several school organizations.
McGill served as academic team president and was a member of the National Honor Society and Future Business Leaders of America.
On Facebook, the academic team paid tribute to McGill, remembering her as a ‘bright light.’
‘Rylie was a bright light whose warmth, intelligence, and determination touched everyone around her,’ they wrote.
‘She had a gift for making others feel seen, and her smile could light up any room she entered,’ dubbing her as the ‘heart’ of their team.
‘We are grateful for every laugh, every conversation, and every moment we shared with her. It was an honor to watch her grow and lead,’ they added.
McGill was an aspiring writer who wanted to become a journalism professor. She graduated from high school with honors and took part in several school organizations (pictured here at her high school graduation)
The community has rallied together to mourn McGill (pictured here at her high school graduation)
Close friends of McGill told the outlet they are still stunned by the 18-year-old’s death
‘She will forever be our captain, and her light will continue to shine in the hearts of those who knew and loved her,’ they concluded.
McGill’s close friends told the outlet they are still stunned by the 18-year-old’s death.
‘It just felt really, really horrible. And something to this day that I cannot process,’ friend Zulma Molina said.
‘She cared for every single person that was around her, even if she didn’t know you personally or not a lot, she would still try to find a way to make sure that you were happy.’
