O’Fallon High School ‘devastated’ by death of popular student in car crash
The O’Fallon community is mourning the death of high school junior Madeline “Maddie” Best, who died in a car accident Friday afternoon.
Best was a student at O’Fallon Township High School who played for the Panthers’ girls tennis team and served on student council, according to a statement issued Monday by the school.
The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the incident.
According to the department, the single-car crash was reported at 4:54 p.m. in the 1800 block of Bowler Road, just north of O’Fallon. The vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree with four passengers inside, Sheriff’s Department Master Sgt. Adam Quirin said Monday. Two passengers were transported to St. Louis local hospitals, and one died later in the evening.
The administration of O’Fallon Township High School issued the following statement on Monday:
“Over the weekend, we were informed that OTHS junior Madeline (Maddie) Best passed away following an automobile accident on Friday evening. Our entire school community is devastated by Maddie’s death, and we have the Best family in our most heartfelt thoughts as we all struggle to cope with this immense loss. Support services have been made available and communicated to all of our students and families as they navigate this difficult time. Maddie was a very special student who made such a positive impact on the lives of her classmates and our school. She was a vibrant student in her classes, on the tennis courts, and a student leader in student council. She represented all the best ideals that we hope to see in our students, and she will be so severely missed.”
Others associated with O’Fallon schools expressed their condolences on social media.
In a Facebook post, the O’Fallon Federation of Teachers said: “The teacher - student relationship is precious. We work everyday in rooms where students touch our lives and fill our hearts with love. As we mourn the loss of one of those loved students, we recognize the entire community is mourning with us. The OFT would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to all in our community as we mourn the loss of our student Madeline Best. May there be peace brought to everyone touched by Maddie, especially her family.”
O’Fallon Panther Tennis wrote: “Our hearts are broken. Maddie was a beautiful light in this world unfortunately taken too soon. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family, friends, and teammates. We will so miss her bright smile, and her contagious, positive energy. She brought so much joy to the people in her life, and we are all better people because of her. In this very difficult time, we will cherish every moment we had with Maddie, and live every moment with her example in mind…with joy, positivity, and kindness. We send the Best Family all of our love and support from their Panther Tennis Family. We love you Maddie.”
A memorial has been started by a tree inscribed with the letter “M” on Bowler Road north of O’Fallon in St. Clair County.
This story was originally published October 23, 2023 at 3:13 PM.
