Funeral arrangements set for Belleville high school student who died in weekend car crash
Memorial services for the Belleville East High School student who died from a car crash will be held on Friday and Saturday of this week, according to Pastor Brian Downs of Zion Lutheran Church.
All services for Maddison “Maddi” Rodriguez will be hosted by the Belleville church, Rodriguez’s home church. On Friday, a visitation will be held at 4 p.m., with a celebration of life ceremony starting at 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday, another visitation will be held at 9 a.m. and the funeral will start at 11 a.m.
Downs said his church is devastated about Rodriguez’s passing.
“We do grieve very hard, but we don’t grieve without hope,” Downs said.
Down said Rodriguez has been a member of the church since she was baptized there in 2004. He said youth leaders in the church met last night to console children in its youth ministry.
“I know that Maddi was a shining star here at Zion and at her school Belleville East,” Pastor Downs said. “She was a wonderfully gifted athlete. She was the first female to play boy’s baseball here at Zion. We give letters out for our kiddos, and so she lettered in varsity baseball here at Zion Lutheran School where she attended until 2018 when she graduated. “
He added: “She was an awesome, excellent student and she was a very active Christian here who participated in our youth ministry program.”
Details of the accident
Rodriguez died Sunday after her car rolled over on a country road near Freeburg, according to authorities. The Belleville East senior, of Park Avenue in Freeburg, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident on Old Freeburg Road at 11:15 a.m., St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. said.
The accident happened in the 3500 block of Old Freeburg Road near Turf Lane, authorities said.
Freeburg Police Chief Mike Schutzenhofer said it was reported at 10:08 a.m. and officers arrived on scene at 10:15 a.m.
“The officers found one vehicle rolled over with a person trapped,” Schutzenhofer said.
Asked what may have caused the teen’s car to roll over, Schutzenhofer said “it appears she was driving too fast.” He said there were yellow markings on the roadway where the vehicle skidded and went into a slide, struck a ditch and rolled over, Schutzenhofer said.
Downs said Rodriguez will be greatly missed.
“We pray for her family and her friends and classmates in the East community as well,” Down said.”
Zion Lutheran Church is located at 1810 McClintock Avenue in Belleville.
This story was originally published February 14, 2022 at 2:30 PM.
