Tragic news was shared on Tuesday night from Pikeland Community Unit School District Superintendent Todd Fox on the district’s Facebook page. News that sent shock waves through west central Illinois. In a statement by Superintendent Fox on Tuesday, he said, “It is with heavy heart that I share devastating news with you about the sudden and tragic passing of one of our students, Reese Ramsey. The are no words that can fully express the sorrow and pain we feel as a school community.”
According to several media outlets, on Tuesday night, the car that Pittsfield High School freshman Reese Ramsey was a passenger in, was hit head on by another vehicle on Illinois 106 in Pike County. A Chevy Silverado was passing a truck-tractor and hit the jeep that Ramsey was riding in head on. The vehicles then hit the truck-tractor causing it to turnover. The driver of the Silverado and the driver and a passenger of the Jeep, two teen girls also from Pittsfield High School, were taken to area hospitals with serious injuries by Life Flight. The Illinois State Police said the driver of the tractor was taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. ISP also reported a passenger in the Silverado, a 68-year-old woman from Pittsfield, and Ramsey were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Silverado was cited for Improper Lane Usage. Ramsey, a standout basketball freshman, and the two girls in the jeep, freshman Lincoln McCartney and sophomore Deeghan Allen, were all teammates on the Pittsfield High School basketball team. A post from Superintendent Fox on Wednesday on the district’s Facebook page gave an update on McCartney and Allen. McCartney was transported to Children’s Hospital in St. Louis. Fox said she is in stable condition and will continue to be monitored by the hospital’s trauma and neurological teams. Allen was transported to St. John’s in Springfield, where she successfully underwent surgeries to repair a broken bone in her neck and a skull fracture.
Ramsey, an uber-talented basketball player that led the Pittsfield varsity team in scoring in just her freshman season at 18.6 points a game, was a major part of the Saukees’ (24-4) overall record and 3rd seed in the upcoming postseason regional tournament. As a junior high school player, Ramsey led Pittsfield to back-to-back state tournaments. Ramsey’s 7th grade squad won a 3A state title and her 8th grade team finished 3rd.
As a memorial to Ramsey, many school districts around the state are doing various fund-raisers for the families involved in the accident. Fans attending the Lincoln Trail Conference girls basketball championship and 3rd place games tonight at Wethersfield High School in Kewanee are being asked to wear red in honor of the Pittsfield Saukees school colors. United will take on Knoxville in the 3rd place game tonight. United High School Athletic Director Jeremy Sharp says it’s a great thing for the conference to honor Ramsey.
The Red Storm will play Knoxville at 6:00 tonight at Wethersfield High School for 3rd place, followed by Abingdon-Avon and Wethersfield for the LTC Tournament title at around 7:30.
***Photo courtesy of City of Pittsfield Facebook page***
