Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 23, 1993 TAG: 9302230054
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MICHAEL STOWE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
FATAL WRECK WOUNDS COMMUNITY
The flag at Prices Fork Elementary School flew at half-staff Monday as students and teachers tried to cope with the death of one of their own.Third-grader Stephanie Renee Tuck was killed with her father, Billy Tuck, in a head-on collision Friday night on McCoy Road that some community members are calling the worst wreck ever in the area.
Also killed was James Davis Reed, 47, whose four-wheel-drive vehicle crossed the center line and hit the Tucks' pickup truck.
State police said witnesses told them Reed was drinking before the wreck. Dr. David Oxley, deputy chief medical examiner for Western Virginia, said toxicology reports were not yet available.
Deborah Tuck, who was Stephanie's mom and Billy Tuck's wife, suffered multiple bruises in the crash, which left members of the McCoy community in disbelief.
"It seems that this wreck has rattled just about everyone's cage," said longtime resident Walter J. Reynolds. "Just like that, three lives are snuffed out."
Reynolds, who is captain of the Longshop-McCoy Volunteer Fire Department, said the accident was the worst he's seen since the Fire Department was started in 1961.
"It's real tough," he said. "It's going to take a long time for this community to get over this."
Roughly 300 friends and family members crowded into two buildings at New Mount Zion Lutheran Church on Monday in a final tribute to Stephanie and her father. The church's small parking lot overflowed. Some mourners had to park nearly half a mile away.
Many in the crowd comforted themselves by talking of how both Stephanie and her father were baptized only one week ago.
The scene was nearly identical at McCoy Funeral Home on Sunday as friends and family waited to catch a glimpse of the large coffin that father and daughter shared.
Larry Arrington, principal at Prices Fork, said it was fitting for them to be buried together because they had such a close relationship.
Marilyn Machara, Stephanie's teacher, remembered the 9-year-old as "a real All-American kid" who was a shy but wonderful student.
Stephanie loved animals. Her last composition, "Three Animals," was about horses named Noelle and Kelly and a deer named Olivia.
Arrington said that, to his knowledge, Stephanie is the only student to have died while a Prices Fork Elementary student. In addition to Prices Fork's guidance counselor, counselors from four other schools were on hand Monday to help students deal with Stephanie's death.
"Students show their grief in so many ways," Arrington said. "Some become upset and cry, and others just need to talk it out."
The faculty and staff at the school prepared a handout with suggestions on how to treat bereaved children.
"In dedication to Stephanie and the Tuck family, who will remain in our memories forever . . .," read the opening page. "We understand death for the first time when he puts his hand upon one whom we love."
In Machara's class, students drew pictures and left messages on a large mural they plan to send to Deborah Tuck.
"Stephanie was very sweet and kind. She was a good friend. Love, Clarissa Sheppard," read one message. Others drew pictures of Stephanie with her sunny blond hair and wide smile.
Billy Tuck's co-workers in the physical plant department at Virginia Tech had a difficult time dealing with their friend's death. Everyone took the day off except Lyndell Price, head of the department.
"He was always friendly with everyone, very easy to get along with," Price said. "This is real difficult to handle."
"That's truly the one person that I've never heard anybody say anything bad about," said Eddie Bowen, a state trooper. "Just a truly good man."
Friends remembered Tuck as an outdoorsman who loved to hunt, fish and play church softball.
Instead of flowers, the Tuck family asked that contributions be made to the Dustin Fagan Trust Fund, National Bank of Blacksburg, Account No. 653188, c/o Luther Memorial Lutheran Church, 600 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg 24060.
Dustin Fagan, who has brain cancer, was a classmate of Stephanie's until his family moved to Christiansburg last summer. His family is raising money to pay for a bone-marrow transplant.
Another family is coping with death after Friday's accident, too.
Veronica Dawn Reed, the daughter of James Davis Reed, said her father was a quiet man who had lived all his life in the McCoy area of Blacksburg. He was a brick mason by trade, but gave up his job five years ago and has made a living by helping friends with odd jobs. Reed also loved to hunt and fish, she said.
His funeral is scheduled for 2 p.m today at McCoy Funeral Home.
Staff Writer Kathy Loan contributed information to this story.
Keywords:
FATALITY
Memo: ***CORRECTION***