A Hillsdale College student was killed in a car accident on Monday evening near Monroe, Michigan. Brittany Ames, 22, of Tecumseh, Michigan, was pronounced dead Monday evening near an intersection where, according to the police report, she ran a stop sign and collided with a tow truck. No one else was injured in the accident.
Ames, a rising senior, was an accounting major with a politics minor, a member of the Young Republicans and the Catholic Society, and a library employee. Those who knew Ames remember her for her genuine warmth.
“She was an absolute sweetheart,” said Jenn Shadle, her freshman roommate. “She was always focused on God. It wasn’t something we talked about all that often, and I can’t think of a tangible way to explain it, but you just knew.”
Students who lived in Olds Dormitory during the 2011-2012 school year experienced Ames’ kindness when she and her uncle had Hillsdale College T-shirts made for the entire dorm. Shadle said such gestures portrayed Ames’ caring personality.
Mickey Craig, professor of politics, said in an email Ames was “a good student…shy, polite, and modest in the best sense of the word.”
Brock Lutz, director of health and wellness, said students can seek counselors by emailing blutz@hillsdale.edu. Chaplain Bishop Peter Beckwith is also available to discuss grief or feelings of loss.
“It is very normal for a tragedy like this to have a significant impact on students, even those who may not have known Brittany well, because no one expects someone in her early twenties to suddenly pass away,” Lutz said in an email. “Thus, it is important for students impacted to talk to friends, professors, deans, or counseling staff about this tragedy and how to process it in a healthy manner.”
Students are welcome to attend visitation held at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Tecumseh, Michigan on Thursday from 5-8 p.m. and Friday from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. A vigil will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at St. Elizabeth. On Saturday there will be a vigil from 10-10:45 a.m. preceding the funeral mass at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at Brookside Cemetery.
The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Knights of Columbus Council #9937 Scholarship Fund or the Girls State Scholarship Fund c/o Tecumseh High School.