Emma Wallace’s assigned parking space at South Granville High School has become a place of remembrance after the 16-year-old student died in a crash on U.S. Highway 15 in Granville County, North Carolina.
A wooden cross bearing her first name now stands in parking space No. 132. Flowers, balloons and handwritten notes surround it. For classmates, it has become a simple place to stop, remember Emma and take in the reality that she is not coming back to school.
Wallace died Monday morning, Aug. 17, in a two-vehicle collision on U.S. 15 near Oxford. Police said she was driving southbound when her vehicle collided with a vehicle traveling northbound. The crash was reported at about 7:45 a.m., and the other driver remained at the scene. Authorities have not released that driver’s identity.
The circumstances of the crash are still being investigated. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is handling the investigation, while emergency and local agencies responded after the collision.
But at South Granville High School, the focus has quickly shifted from the crash to the person Emma was. She was a student-athlete who played both volleyball and softball. Coaches and teammates knew her from practices and games, while classmates knew her as a friend and fellow student.
One of those friends, Macy Dickerson, helped create the memorial outside the school. She described Emma as kind and said she was someone who cared about other people and was always there for those around her. The words have taken on added meaning as students deal with a loss that came without warning.
Emma’s volleyball coach, Jordan Rhodes, also remembered her as someone who could make people laugh. Rhodes said Emma brought energy to practices and connected well with her teammates. Those memories now offer a different picture of the teenager than the brief details surrounding the crash.
Emma was also the daughter of Corporal Tony Wallace, a Creedmoor school resource officer. His role in the community has made the tragedy especially difficult for people who knew the family through both the school system and local law enforcement.
South Granville High School Principal Ashley Clark said the school community was heartbroken. Granville County Public Schools has provided support services to students and staff as they process Emma’s death. Creedmoor Police Chief Troy Wheless also expressed condolences to her family, friends and teammates and thanked the community for standing behind them.
Emma’s funeral was scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 23, at the South Granville High School auditorium, with visitation at noon and the service at 2 p.m. Burial was planned at Meadowview Memorial Park in Oxford. She would have turned 17 next month.
For her classmates, the memorial outside the school now carries a simple message. Emma was here. She had friends, teammates, coaches and family who loved her. She played volleyball and softball, made people laugh and became part of the daily life of a school that is now learning how to move forward without her.
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