Amanda Pearl Martin Tribute

Amanda P. Martin, 17, Clemence Hill Rd. died Wednesday, Oct. 17th at UMASS Medical Center from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. She leaves her parents, Derek and Melissa (Dickson) Martin; her sister, Lainey Martin of Southbridge; paternal grandparents, Edward and Cynthia (Bonneville) Koziak of Webster; Rick Martin of Webster; maternal grandfather, Joseph Dickson of Holden; paternal great-grandparents, Robert and Martha (Kacerik) Bonneville of Danielson, CT; step-grandmother, Anna Koziak of Webster; Godparents, Daniel Dickson and Joanne Bousquet of North Grosvenerdale, CT; aunts, Sheryl Seymour of Worcester, Linda Dickson of Oxford; uncles, Stephen Dickson and Daniel Dickson of North Grosvenerdale; and eight cousins. She was predeceased by her grandmother, Marsha (Spooner) Callahan. Amanda was a senior at Bay Path Regional High School studying the art of cosmetology. She worked part time for Laughlin Kennels in Oxford. She enjoyed her family, her friends, photography, music, going shopping, going out to eat with her mom and sister, spending Saturday mornings with her Dad, spending time with her sister, her dogs "Buddy", "Eddy" and her cat "Dokken". She was a member of St. Hedwig's Parish where she was an altar server. Her funeral will be at 10:00 AM Tuesday, October 23rd, in St. Hedwig's Church, Everett St. Southbridge. Burial will follow St. Hedwig's Cemetery. Calling hours are 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM Monday, October 22nd in Belanger - Bullard Funeral Home, 51 Marcy St., Southbridge. Memorial contributions may be made to: Amanda Martin Scholarship Fund, Southbridge Credit Union, 205 Main St., Southbridge, Ma. 01550. An online guestbook and a video tribute are available at BelangerFuneralHome.com

Crash kills Bay Path senior Text-messaging blamed CHARLTON—
Driving while text-messaging is being blamed by one family member for taking a Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School senior’s life yesterday when the car she was driving hit a tree. Amanda P. Martin, 17, of 318 Clemence Hill Road, Southbridge, was driving a 1998 Pontiac Sunfire when her car hit a tree on Flint Road. Police went to the scene after getting a report at 7:25 a.m. that a car had struck a tree near 151 Flint Road. Miss Martin was treated at the scene by Fire Department paramedics before being taken by Life Flight helicopter to UMass Memorial Medical Center — University Campus in Worcester, where she was pronounced dead. Linda Dickson of Oxford called her niece “a bright and shining light” and “very motivated and an excellent kid.” Ms. Dickson believes the combination of driving and text-messaging is the catalyst that took Amanda’s life. “We have reason to believe that she was either receiving a text message or answering back to a text,” Ms. Dickson said. “The police said that she received a text at 7:22 a.m. and the accident happened at 7:25 a.m.” Ms. Dickson said she can’t emphasize enough to the young people behind the wheel not to use their cell phones while they are driving. “That cell phone was somehow involved,” Ms. Dickson said, “I really believe that.” “She was just a great girl. She really was,” Ms. Dickson said. “She really had her act together and had goals for her future and I’m sure she would have reached each and every one of them.” In addition to cosmetology, Amanda was a big animal lover and worked part time at Laughlin Kennel in Oxford. “Everyone at the entire place (at Laughlin Kennel) was hysterically crying. Her boss said Amanda was his number one,” Ms. Dickson said. “She has been working there well over a year. She never missed a day of work. She was very reliable for them and very efficient for them.” Yesterday’s fatality marks the third time this month a young Southbridge woman has been killed in a motor vehicle accident in Charlton. Bethann M. Brooks, 22, of 232 Everett St., Southbridge, died Oct. 4 when her subcompact car collided head-on with a dump truck on Route 169. Miss Brooks was driving north just past Carpenter Hill Road when her 1993 Toyota Tercel crossed the double solid yellow lines and struck the dump truck. The crash was reported at 11:15 a.m. Julia LaVallee, 22, of Prince Road died Oct. 7 when her sport utility vehicle hit telephone poles and a tree off Route 20 and flipped over, police said. Two passengers were injured in the crash, which occurred at 8 a.m. near Heritage Golf Course. The preliminary investigation by police indicated the car Miss Martin was driving was heading north on Flint Road when it crossed into the opposite travel lane, went off the road and struck a tree. Speed may have been a factor, police said. She was the only person in the car and no other vehicles were involved, police said. Miss Martin leaves her parents, Derek and Melissa Martin, and her sister, Lainey Martin, 14, a freshman at Bay Path, as well as two chocolate Labrador retrievers, Buddy and Eddy, and a cat named Dokken. “She loved to shop. She loved her cosmetology. She loved her friends. She loved her family, very close to her family,” Mrs. Martin said of her daughter. Described by her mother as “a beautiful girl with great ambition,” she was majoring in cosmetology at Bay Path and had aspirations of becoming a cosmetologist someday. “She had great dreams of opening her own business and was going to go to college for business, “Mrs. Martin said. Superintendent-Director David P. Papagni said the 20 members of the senior class majoring in cosmetology were gathered in a lecture hall at the school where the school’s crisis team and grief counselors talked with them. He said grief counselors also talked to other students during the day and those who were most affected were given the opportunity to go home if they wanted. “It’s a sad day here,” Mr. Papagni said. Mr. Papagni said word of the accident involving Miss Martin spread quickly through the school of about 1,100 students. Around dusk, Amanda Martin’s parents and sister were at the spot where she lost her life. They were silent and solemn, but still very polite, as they reflected near the ready-made shrine and tried to make sense of it all. “She went to school and was taken from us way too soon,” Mrs. Martin said. “I miss her a lot,” Lainey Martin said. “I love her a lot.” In addition to cosmetology, Amanda Martin was a big animal lover and worked part time at Laughlin Kennel in Oxford. “I want her to know how much we love her and miss her,” Mrs. Martin said. “Our lives will never be the same.” When asked if it would be all right to stop by their house and pick up a picture of Amanda, Mrs. Martin said yes, because she would love everyone to see what a beautiful girl she was. Charlton Patrolmen Keith R. Cloutier, Gary Wood and Lt. Carl Ekman are investigating the latest fatality.