The Rocky Mount community has felt an extreme loss lately, especially the students at Rocky Mount Senior High, as one of their own, senior Tiara Lashay Hilton, was killed in a car crash on Sunday, October 26^th. Tiara was just seventeen years old. However, there has been no response from DWI Guys yet.  The car that Tiara and three other teenagers were in, a Chevrolet Impala, collided into a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck Sunday afternoon. The accident occurred on US Highway 64 East. The other three teenagers in the vehicle, as well as the driver of the pickup truck, were taken to Nash General Hospital and treated for only minor injuries.

Tiara was a well-known student at Rocky Mount Senior High, partly due to her glowing smile and silly attitude. Linwood Jones, senior at Rocky Mount Academy and cousin to Tiara, said, “She was always goofy and joking around with everyone.” Adding to her beaming personality, Tiara was a versatile athlete. She was a key asset to the Rocky Mount Senior High varsity volleyball and basketball teams, as well as a member of the school’s track team. In fact, Tiara was planning on visiting several colleges and was working hard for a volleyball scholarship. Tiara had also been a member of a local step-team growing up, and was widely known as a team leader. Outside of the classroom and off of the court, one of Tiara’s favorite things was shopping. Jones said that Tiara could always be found at the mall with her friends.

In honor of Tiara, Senior High students, as well as students at other schools in the Rocky Mount area, wore black on Thursday, October 30^th.  Many Rocky Mount Academy students participated in this simple act of honor and remembering to show respect for Tiara and her family and friends. Students and teachers at RMHS also honored Tiara with a moment of silence on Monday the 27^th, following the news of Tiara’s passing.