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GHS mourns loss of talented freshman

She was smart, funny, happy and talented. But now she's gone.

The death of Goshen High School freshman in a car-van collision Friday in Elkhart shocked and stunned not only the people who knew her well but everyone in the school.

"She was a fine young lady, joyful in most everything she did," said choral director Marcia Yost, who worked with Allison in choir and in drama productions, including the musical and a children's theatre production put on by Goshen Community Theatre.

"She was always working hard to be better. She was the kind of person who lived life to the fullest. She seemed to really enjoy school and people, and she was always helpful," Yost said.

As well as her involvement in drama and chior, she was a member of the student council; Key Club, a school/community service organization; and Elkhart Civic Theatre. A week prior to the accident she had been honored at the Academic Honors Banquet for achieving a grade-point average of 3.7 or better.

She was a fine student. She had a lot of ability," Yost said, noting that Allison had her sights set on being a member of the Crimsonaires show choir. "She was a real asset to us this year. We were all looking forward to working with her more in the future."

"She was very involved, very active and a good student," said Assistant Principal Robert Gunn.

"She was really happy and nice to everyone," said sophomore April Pottenger, who was in the student council with Allison and was riding in the van with her and six other council members.

They were on their way to Elkhart Memorial High School to participate in an exchange program when a car slammed into the van at the intersection of Hively and Pleasant Plain avenues.

April, who was sitting on the driver's side of the van driven by Memorial activities director Roberta Litherland, said she saw the accident coming.

"I glanced out the window and saw it coming. I screamed or someone screamed, and turned back the other way when the car hit us," she said.

"It went so fast. I knew the van had rolled, and I was rolling inside the van. When I opened my eyes, I was on top of my friends and the driver was asking if everyone was OK."

April, who was unhurt, said her classmates were "shaken and hysterical." She said freshman Arlene Fisher, who received a neck injury in the crash, was face down and yelling for help.

April was one of the first students out of the van. She said the sister of the woman driving the car came over to the students. "She said she was sorry, so sorry," April remembered. "She said her sister tried to stop but couldn't."

Back at Goshen High School, students were informed of the accident about 10:30 am. The school's crisis intervention team was immediately movilized as pastors, counselors, and staff members were available to help students deal with their grief

It hit the students hard, Assistant Principal Ted Mahnenesmith said.

"It hit the freshmen harder than anyone else, but everyone was quiet, somber and distraught," he said.

Students were free to leave classes and gather in the auditorium, guidance offices or hallways to cope as best they could. Gunn said at any one time there were 100 students grieving outside classrooms.

"We let the kids form groups where they wanted and just tried to be there for them," Mahnensmith said. "Everybody was helpful. I saw our staff members sitting with Kleenex boxes, holding students and letting them cry."

"The kids were shocked, and some were angry that this had to happen," said Dori Keyser, coordinator of the student assitance program at the high school. "But I'm so proud of our kids. They are so supportive and care about each other so much. I think they're doing as well as anyone could at this time."

School continued, but teacher Jim Alber said all the students were visibly shaken.

"Yesterday was pretty hard," he said this morning. "Kids were in the hallways, shocked and numb. There was a lot of crying."

Alber is also the junior class sponsor, which is hosting the annual prom tonight. He said all plans for the evening are on, though there may be a moment of silence or a special song played in memory of Allison.

"I think it's the best thing to do," he said of plans to proceed with the prom. "The sponsors and administrators will be there and we'll try to catch anything as it goes. If there's some emotional kickback, we'll deal with it as it comes."

The accident that killed a Goshen High School student and seriously injured two other GHS students remains under investigation by Elkhart police.

N. Allison Yoder, 15, a ninth-grade honor student at GHS, died instantly after she was thrown from a van that collided with a car at Pleasant Plain and Hively avenues in Elkhart at 8:20 am Friday. Yoder's upper body was crushed by the van, and she died of a skull fracture and massive internal injuries.

Another student, Arlene Fisher, 15, suffered a neck injury in the accident. She was taken to Elkhart General Hospital and later transferred to University of Michigan Hospital, Ann Arbor. She was listed in fair condition there this morning.

A third student, Jeffery N. Troyer, 15, received a broken jaw in the accident. He was in surgery late Friday afternoon. He is listed in fair condition at Elkhart General Hospital.

Carrie L. Oesch, 17, Jennifer Naomi Murto, 15, April Pottenger, 15, Teresa Caddell, 15, and J.D. Hershberger, 15, were the other students in the accident.

The collision occurred when a 1986 Suburu driven by Mitzi A. Walters, Elkhart, collided with a 1990 van driven by Roberta Litherland. The van was owned by the Elkhart School Corp. and was transporting the teens to Elkhart Memorial High School as part of a student council exchange.

Walters, 21, of Elkhart, had a 16-year-old girl as a passenger.

The students and Walters were treated at Elkhart General Hospital and released, a hospital spokeswoman said Litherland was not injured. She and Caddell were the only people in the van wearing seat belts, according to Elkhart police Capt. Larry Towns.

The van was outfitted with seat belts for all passengers, Towns said. He said the students were not required to wear seat belts, according to Indiana's statute on the seat belt laws. "It states that the passenger in the front seat should be wearing a seat belt," he said, but it is not mandatory that they do so. (Note: Seat belts are now required by law to be worn on school owned transport vans in Indiana because of this accident.)

Walters was not wearing a seat belt, he added.

Towns said Walters was driving her car north on Pleasant Plain Avenue when she apparently disregarded a red light at the intersection and drove into the left side of the van, which was westbound on Hively Avenue. The impact from the collision caused the van to flip over twice, ejecting in the process. The van came to a stop after striking a utility pole.

"No alcohol was found to be involved in the accident," Towns said.

Information on the accident will be sent to the prosecutor's office, police said.

"At the conclusion of the investigation," Towns said, "all the information will be taken to the prosecutor's office. We've been in contact with them, at which time, some determination will be made as to possible charges being filed. At this point, no charges have been filed against the drivers."

Towns said sending the information to the prosecutor's office is routine. "There's always the question of neglect vs. criminal intent," he said. He expects the investigation to be completed and all the information given to the prosecutor's office within the next week.

Yoder was born Feb. 15, 1978 in Warsaw, Indiana, to Anthony and Joanna Yoder.

Surviving with the parents are a brother, Eric, and a sister, Bethany, both at home; grandparents, Mr. And Mrs. Wendell Yoder, Elkhart; and Mrs. Jo Graber, Goshen; and great grandmothers, Mrs. Joy Johnson, Goshen, and Mrs. Esther Yoder, Wakarusa. She was preceded in death by a sister, Casey Marie, in 1977.

Allison was an honor student, secretary-treasurer of the GHS Student Council, and active in the Elkhart Civic Theatre and Goshen Community Theatre. She was in the GHS Drama Club, Key Club, Crimson Chior, and was recently initiated into the Thespians.