Hailie, the second oldest of four girls, was born five weeks early on April 13, 1998 in Layton, Utah. Many words describe Hailie – vibrant, happy, outgoing, friendly, spunky, sassy, strong, beautiful, spontaneous, loving, social, fun, adventurous, and determined.
Hailie loved spending time with her family and friends, dancing, animals, baking, camping, and keeping active. She was a friend to everyone. We share and have heard of warm memories from others about her sweet spirit, warm heart, bright eyes, and infectious smile.
Hailie was full of life and full of tenacious passion. In high school, she made the drill team her freshman year but wouldn’t make the team again until her junior year. During the time between these tryouts, she put one of her favorite quotes to work, “Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up.” While on the drill team she had the opportunity to visit New York where she met and took a class from The Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, watched the Broadway show “Wicked,” and found a way to shop at Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey, the location of Cake Boss which was one of her favorite T.V. shows. She also traveled with the team to dance at nationals in Orlando, Florida. During her senior year, Hailie was a member of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and showed her pig at a fair. She graduated from Westlake High School and from Mountainland Applied Technical College in dental assisting.
Hailie and Simon were killed instantly by a thoughtless, self-centered driver in a lifted truck who fell asleep at the wheel. The driver drifted across six lanes of traffic, causing a horrific head-on crash. The crash happened less than one mile from our home. When the deputies came to the door to give us the devastating news, we could see the reflection from all of the lights at the crash scene bouncing off of the street signs and hills. With the crash happening so close to home, in our day-to-day routines we frequently pass the crash site and shop at her place of work. Many times, this results in replaying in our minds the week before and after her untimely death. The day of the crash we had her packed up and were leaving to take her to Dixie State University. It was there her educational journey was to begin on the path to fulfilling her goal of becoming a pediatric dentist.
Our family has endured waves of existential crisis, sorrow, anguish, and unimaginable grief that has shattered us to our core. Our lives have forever changed yet we must persevere and carry on our lives without Hailie as a family unit.
Our family would like other drivers to know that accidents might happen but crashes are preventable. Getting behind the wheel to drive is a serious responsibility that should not be taken lightly. Poor decisions can be very unforgiving. Do not drive when you are, or think you might be tired. Pay attention, stay focused, and drive alert . . . a life depends on it.
