Teen dies from crash injuries
Published: October 15, 2009
FORT DEFIANCE – A 16-year-old Fort Defiance High School junior died Wednesday morning, two days after she crashed her mother’s car into a tree.
Word of Angela Kania’s death left her classmates in a whirl of sadness with homecoming weekend approaching, Principal Larry Landes said.
“It really does hit home about how short life can be,” Landes said. “The kids are torn and are having to deal with something so unnatural for young people. There’s no magic formula for how to deal with it.”
An academically gifted student, Kania took advanced classes, Landes said. And she smiled a lot.
Administrators said they planned to hold a moment of silence for Kania at the end of the school day.
Kania died at 12:51 a.m. She crossed her mother’s 1999 Toyota Solara over the center line and smashed the vehicle into a tree Monday morning in the 1000 block of Dam Town Road, Virginia State Police trooper K.L. Hyden said.
It was the second time in as many years that a Fort Defiance High teen was killed in a car crash on Dam Town, a winding rural road.
Kania was flown to the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville after rescue teams pulled her from the vehicle using the Jaws of Life.
Kania suffered trauma to the head and chest, Hyden said.
Kania’s mother, Catherine VanLear, of Verona, reported the car missing on the same day as the crash, police said. The girl, a reported runaway, was driving eastbound, away from her home and school.
First responders to the scene reported Kania was not wearing a seat belt, Hyden said.
VanLear declined to comment.
In 2008, four area teens, including Fort Defiance student Amy Caracofe, 17 of New Hope, were killed in car crashes. Caracofe in January lost control of her car in the 400 block of Dam Town.
That same month, Evanne Coffman, 16, of Fishersville, overturned her Jeep.
On March 4, Cody Hassett, 17, of Staunton, was killed in a three-car crash.
Matthew Shobe, 19, of Bridgewater, died Dec. 20 after his friend, Brennan J. Daly, 17, of Mount Solon, wrecked on Route 646 in Augusta County.
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Reader Reactions
The Waynesboro News Virginian and it’s reporters sicken me. They have consistently reported Angela in a negative light and have been rude and insensitive to the family during this time of grief. I appreciate the fact that the Staunton Newsleader has written thoughtful articles worth reading while being sensitive to the needs of the family. All of us who know and love Angela remember the sweet, loving, kind, thoughtful girl that she was. Our hearts are breaking. Maybe it’s time the Waynesboro paper and it’s reporters tried a little compassion and understanding for a family that has had to let go of yet another one of their angels and has endured too much grief. Our children are waiting for us in Heaven, I pray that you never have to experience this pain, but I guarantee if you do, you will have more compassion and think twice about how you present your information.
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