SHELBY, N.C. — A hit-and-run crash left a soldier from North Carolina dead last week in California.
The crash happened in Monterey County, California on Sunday, Nov. 10 around 9 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.
An unidentified vehicle struck a Honda driven by 19-year-old Maddie Fletcher, a Private First Class solider from Shelby. The crash caused Fletcher's car to lose control, flip over, and hit a tree. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the unidentified vehicle left the scene. Investigators have not identified the driver or the vehicle in the crash.
Fletcher attended the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC). She was described as "a model young Soldier, an aspiring DLIFLC linguist and an excellent student" by Col. Christy L. Whitfield, commandant of DLIFLC.
"Our deepest sympathies were expressed to her family, and our entire Institute now mourns the loss of our fellow Service member and friend," Whitfield said in a statement. "Any assistance from the Monterey community to help identify the person who caused this preventable loss would be greatly appreciated."
The DLIFLC is a school for active and reserve military personnel, foreign military students, and civilians working in the federal government. The institute provides linguistic and cultural education and research.