Drew Ceppetelli, Salve Regina University softball player, mourned after Portsmouth, N.H., crash

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — Drew Ceppetelli, a 21-year-old Barrington, New Hampshire, resident and college student-athlete in Rhode Island, is being mourned following her death in a single-vehicle crash early Thanksgiving morning.

Ceppetelli, a graduate of Coe-Brown Northwood Academy, was one of six people in a 2018 Porsche Macan that rolled over multiple times in an accident at the junction of the Route 1 Bypass South and the city traffic circle at 1:17 a.m. Thursday, according to New Hampshire State Police.

State police said the vehicle was operated by a 22-year-old Northwood man and multiple people in the vehicle were ejected from the car.

Fatal car crash in Portsmouth, NH1 dead, 5 hurt in Portsmouth traffic circle crash early Thanksgiving morning

Ceppetelli and three others were transported to Portsmouth Regional Hospital, where she died as a result of her injuries approximately five hours following the crash, according to the police. The driver and another occupant were taken to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Ceppetelli was “a rare beacon of light to many,” said Dee Brown, the mother of a friend and youth softball teammate.

“She had a large family in the area. She was someone who never left anyone out. She was a friend to everyone,” Brown said Friday. “(It) sounds clichéd but this kid was special. She had a smile on her face always.”

Ceppetelli, who was a student at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, studied health care administration and played outfield for the school’s softball team, according to the university’s athletics department.

Remembrances pour in for Drew Ceppetelli

From her days playing youth softball to her time roaming the outfield for Salve Regina University’s softball team, Ceppetelli was referred to as “lucky number seven” by countless teammates, according to a coach.

Shawn Jerome, a former Barrington Youth Association coach of Ceppetelli’s as recently as last year, is devastated.

“She’s the type of kid that I don’t think this type of community will ever get over,” he said.

Jerome, whose daughter and niece were friends of Ceppetelli’s and spent years playing softball with her, said “lucky number seven” referenced her softball jersey number for years.

“Any and all of her coaches would agree that she was a kid who brought infectious enthusiasm to the field and clubhouse at all times," he said. "She was a deep soul and cared deeply about her teammates on and off the field. She was really the kind of kid who was undersized most of her life, but she was never ever outplayed or outworked.”

When he was coaching younger age groups, Jerome never had any hesitation about calling up Ceppetelli to help coach. Many young athletes in town looked up to her and more would have been inspired by her in the future, he said.

“Everyone’s in shock and just devastated,” Jerome said.

Pam Moynahan said her son, Lucas Moynahan, a senior football player at Salve Regina from Ashland, Massachusetts, was Ceppetelli's boyfriend.

She called Ceppetelli “the most vibrant, kind-hearted girl. ... They had a beautiful future planned. Now it's shattered. Life is unfair.”

Tri-Star Gymnastics in Dover shared a Facebook post about Ceppetelli on Friday.

“She was a team member and touched so many with her beautiful soul,” the post states. “Her infectious energy will always be missed within our Tri-Star family! Please keep the Ceppetelli family in your thoughts and prayers.”

Bob Veno was another longtime coach of Ceppetelli’s on the softball diamond in Barrington. Her called her an energetic, highly skilled player with a knowledge for the game that started when she was young.

“She never cut corners and always made sure to get the little things right," Veno said. "Watching her run those bases was inspiring. Al I had to do was look at her, and she knew what I needed her to do.

“Her spirit inspired all her teammates, which made her a fantastic leader, teammate and friend. Drew was a great family friend and player for many years. I am so glad I had the pleasure to coach and know such an amazing young woman.”

In the hours following the crash, Facebook commenters shared messages of grief and memories on Ceppetelli’s social media profile. “Your smile was infectious, and your heart was so pure,” one wrote in part. “This is such a sad loss as you were loved by so many.”

Salve Regina University's president, Kelli Armstrong, notified the school community of Ceppetelli’s death on Friday morning.

“We join with Drew's family and friends in mourning her tragic death and ask that you keep Drew and all who loved her in your thoughts and prayers,” she wrote in an email.

Armstrong added that counseling services would be available for students in the coming days and that details of a vigil and services for Ceppetelli would be shared soon.

Salve Regina softball coach Shauna Mulkerin said the team is "heartbroken over the loss of our teammate and sister Drew. ... She was our backbone, an incredible leader, teammate and friend. Drew will never know how much of an impact she had on every person that was lucky enough to be part of her life..”

What we know about the fatal crash

New Hampshire State Police said the Porsche exited the left side of the roadway and hit a curb divider before entering the travel area of the traffic circle. The vehicle headed into the circle’s center grass median, causing it to flip numerous times, the police said.

Passing motorists and nearby city police officers tended to the vehicle’s occupants and provided aid until emergency responders arrived, according to the police.

“Excessive speed and impairment were identified as potential factors in this crash, but all aspects of this crash remain under investigation,” the state police announced Thursday.

The police said the traffic circle was closed for about five hours, reopening at about 6:30 a.m.

Assisting the state police in the investigation were Portsmouth police; members of the Newington, Portsmouth and Rye fire departments; the New Hampshire Department of Transportation; the Rockingham County attorney’s office and National Wrecker Service.

State police spokeswoman Amber Lagace said Friday the investigation into the crash remains ongoing and further information will be released as it becomes available.

The state police have asked that anyone with information contact Trooper First Class Nathaniel D. Goodwin by email at Nathaniel.D.Goodwin@DOS.NH.GOV or call the state police at (603) 223-4381.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Salve Regina softball player Drew Ceppetelli dies in Portsmouth, N.H., crash