‘Precious to us all’: Teen killed in Beaufort Co. crash remembered as bright student
A Beaufort County teenager known as Emmy was an inquisitive spirit with big goals.
Judith Emily Wilson was involved in everything in her small private school community of Beaufort Academy, where she was a junior. She played multiple sports and served student government and stood out to teachers for her bright smile, sense of humor and sincerity.
Emily, 16, died in a car crash Tuesday night on Lady’s Island where she lived. She was killed when the 2005 Honda Civic she was driving ran off the side of the road and struck a tree on Brickyard Point Road near Springfield Road just after 7 p.m., according to the S.C. Highway Patrol.
As news spread Tuesday night, Beaufort Academy administrators opened the school’s gymnasium and teachers, coaches and about 100 students gathered until about 11:30 p.m., head of school Dan Durbin said. The school canceled midterm exams scheduled this week and had grief counselors on campus Wednesday.
“She was just an excellent human being and an excellent kid, and you saw ... bright things in her future,” said Durbin, who taught Emily when she was a freshman.
Emily played volleyball and softball as a sophomore and was named the team’s most improved player for each sport. She was top-five in her class of 33, a member of the National Honor Society and representative on Student Senate, according to the school.
She won awards for math and debate, was witty with a sharp sense of humor, rewrote her notes in class until they were flawless and was the first to sign up to volunteer for school events, her teachers said.
“When she paid you a compliment, it made a teacher’s day,” English teacher Kimberly McGuire said. “Because she was sincere, she spoke her mind.”
Her death was the second for the school in four months. Anna Grace Dennis, who was also 16 and described by school staff as Emily’s good friend, died in August.
Durbin described the girls as “two bright lights” the school lost. Two of Emily’s younger siblings attend Beaufort Academy, and an older sister graduated this past spring.
“We’re going to have to struggle,” Durbin said. “But one thing about the environment here at this school is it’s small enough to be a big family... You lose those lights and you just have to work together to get through it.”
Only one vehicle was involved in the crash Tuesday, said Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Tyler Tidwell. The driver was trapped in the vehicle and died at the scene, he said.
The coroner’s office has ordered an autopsy but believes the death is from the crash, the coroner’s office said.
Traffic was blocked for more than an hour while law enforcement worked the scene.
Condolences poured in on social media for a family well known in the community.
Emily’s mother, Christina, is the director of Child Abuse Prevention Association in Port Royal and her father, Jason, is a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office deputy.
CAPA in a release Wednesday said “Emily was intelligent, creative, and precious to us all beyond words.”
“Please keep the Wilson family in your thoughts and prayers with the tragic loss of their precious child, Emily (Emmy) last evening,” state Rep. Shannon Erickson wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday morning. “May God cover them with love, fortitude, strength and peace and may we all find solace in His gift of Eternal Life.”
This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 7:56 AM.
