A 21-year-old university student killed in a rollover crash in New Hampshire on Thanksgiving is being mourned by the school community and softball team she played for.
Drew Ceppetelli, a junior at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, died in the single-car crash in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on Thursday. The collision sent three others to the hospital with serious injuries, according to authorities.
Originally from Barrington, New Hampshire, Ceppetelli went to high school at Coe-Brown Northwood Academy in Northwood, New Hampshire. She was majoring in health care administration at Salve Regina and playing outfield for the university’s softball team.
Her fellow players and coaches are “heartbroken” over the death of Ceppetelli, who was both a “teammate and sister,” Head Softball Coach Shauna Mulkerin told MassLive in a statement.
“She was truly one of a kind and lit up every room she walked into. She was our backbone, an incredible leader, teammate, and friend. Drew will never know how much of an impact she had on every person that was lucky enough to be part of her life,” Mulkerin said. “We miss her deeply already but know she will still be with us this season.”
Ceppetelli’s “infectious smile made everyone around her light up,” the team noted in a Twitter post Friday morning.
“Our program is better because of Drew and we hope we will continue to make her proud. We love you Drew, give Frankie a big hug for us. Fly high lucky seven,” the team said about Ceppetelli, whose jersey number was No. 7.
Salve Regina students were first alerted of Ceppetelli’s death Friday morning by university President Dr. Kelli Armstrong, who described her as “a beloved member” of the school community.
“We join with Drew’s family and friends in mourning her tragic death and ask that you keep Drew and all who loved her in your thoughts and prayers,” Armstrong said in the statement to students.
The university president added that spiritual and counseling services would be made available in the coming days to help those seeking comfort and support. A vigil in Ceppetelli’s honor is also planned.
The fatal collision was reported shortly after 1:15 a.m. Thursday. A 2018 Porsche Macan was traveling south on the Route 1 Bypass toward the Portsmouth Traffic Circle, a four-point rotary in the city, when the car went off the left side of the roadway onto a curbed divider, entered the travel portion of the traffic circle and drove into the grassy median in the center of the rotary, causing the vehicle to flip over several times and ejecting multiple occupants inside, according to a statement from New Hampshire State Police.
Immediately after the crash, Portsmouth police officers who were nearby as well as multiple passing motorists stopped to help the six occupants of the vehicle until EMS arrived, the statement said.
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Four of the occupants, including Ceppetelli, were taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital to be treated for serious injuries suffered in the collision. Roughly five hours later, she died, according to law enforcement.
The driver of the Porsche — 22-year-old Tyler Troy of Northwood, New Hampshire — and another occupant in the car were taken to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover, New Hampshire. Their injuries were not life-threatening, police said.
Authorities noted “excessive speed and impairment” were possible factors in the crash, but all aspects of the collision remain under investigation by state police Trooper First Class Nathaniel D. Goodwin. Anyone with information about the crash has been asked to email Goodwin at nathaniel.d.goodwin@dos.nh.gov or call New Hampshire State Police Headquarters at (603) 223-4381.
While troopers investigated the crash scene and emergency personnel worked to remove the Porsche and debris from the collision, the traffic circle was closed and drivers were diverted for roughly 5 hours. The rotary did not reopen until around 6:30 a.m., according to law enforcement.
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