GOOCHLAND COUNTY, Va. — Caitlyn Mayers, 15, died Sunday, February 16, from injuries she suffered in a Goochland County crash, according to her family.
The Goochland High School student was a passenger in a vehicle that crashed into a utility pole along the 2400 block of Haydensville Fife Road in Goochland County, they added.
"[Mayers] was the rear drivers side passenger in a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup that was traveling southbound on Haydensville Fife Road, when the driver, a 17-year-old, ran off the roadway to the right, overcorrected, ran off the road to the left, and struck a power pole," a Virginia State Police spokesperson said. "The teens were transported to the hospital where the female succumbed to her injuries."
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
"[Caitlyn] truly spread her sweet smile and witty personality everywhere she went," her sister Taylor Szalankiewicz shared with CBS 6. "Her smile would light up a room, her laugh was infectiously contagious, and simply to know her was to love her."
Mayers grew up in Goochland County, Virginia; Chesterfield County, Virginia; and Hatteras Island, North Carolina.
The honor roll student enjoyed taking photos, playing volleyball and pickleball, creating TikTok dances, riding her dirt bike, and listening to country music.
"[She had] the most creative, brilliant mind for artwork, playing her guitar and harmonica simultaneously, and most importantly being the social butterfly we all loved so deeply," her sister said. "She loved life more than anyone we have ever met."
The family has planned a memorial for Caitlyn on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at noon at Cubs Adventure Dining Hall in Maidens, Virginia.
Friends of Caitlyn can send memories and condolences to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky| Facebook| Instagram| X| Threads| TikTok| YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
