Cabool community rallies to help family of 13-year-old girl killed in Saturday crash
Cabool families and school officials are coming together to support the family of a 13-year-old girl killed in a car crash late Saturday.
Superintendent Karl Janson said the loss of the student has created ripples of grief in the small Texas County town.
"We're a district of about 750 kids, and the young lady that was killed comes from a good family that is very active in the school and sports and all that. All of the kids are just pleasant to be around," Janson said. "It's just really, really hitting everybody hard. It was really a shock."
Families have been taking food over to the family of Monrhowe Aaron, a vigil was planned, and a GoFundMe was set up to help with funeral expenses.
As of Monday afternoon, more than $11,300 had been raised. Donations had poured in from more than 150 people.
The GoFundMe, set up by family members, described the teenager as the "most kind, beautiful, and young girl. She was very loved in this small community of ours. She made anyone laugh and couldn’t wait to do sports with her friends."
The family said the girl was killed in a "terrible accident" and the funds raised will help with the local funeral as well as transportation so the girl can be buried in Illinois, next to her beloved grandmother.
Monrhowe was killed late Saturday when the 2012 Ford Festiva she was riding in ran off the roadway, two miles south of Cabool, and overturned, striking a fence.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported the girl was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, a 14-year-old girl, was taken by aircraft to CoxHealth in Springfield with serious injuries.
A 13-year-old boy, who was also riding in the car, was transported to the Texas County Memorial Hospital with minor injuries.
The patrol, who did not identify any of the juveniles by name, said none were wearing a seat belt.
The visitation for Monrhowe is 5-7 p.m. Thursday at the Cabool Christian Church, and the funeral is 10 a.m. Friday at the same church.
Cabool schools will have extra counselors available Tuesday, when students are expected to return to class. The district operates on a four-day week and is closed on Mondays.
"We've got our crisis plan in place and our counselors are all going to be ready to go to meet with students and staff, as needed," Janson said. He noted area districts have also offered to send additional help.
Claudette Riley is the education reporter for the News-Leader. Email news tips to criley@news-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Cabool community rallies to help family of girl, 13, killed in crash
