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Candles and flowers along State Route 3 near Culpeper mark the site of the crash that killed Kelsey Orndorff.
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Orndorff |
By COREY BYERS
In some of the last words he would ever say to his daughter, Rev. James Randall Orndorff told his 17 year-old, Kelsey, how proud he was of her.
On Friday, Kelsey Jean-Marie Orndorff of Culpeper was killed in a two-car collision on State Route 3 in Culpeper County, according to State Police.
According to a witness, Dr. James Cook, who practices in Culpeper, was in the other vehicle and was airlifted from the scene.
This was Kelsey's second and senior year at Fredericksburg Christian High School.
"I've been crying so much I don't feel like I have anything left," her father said yesterday.
He said the family is making it through the loss with friends and faith. James "Randy" Orndorff serves as the pastor at Culpeper United Methodist Church.
Orndorff described his daughter as a straight-A, deeply faithful and funny student trying to get into Duke University or the University of Virginia. The National Honor Society member considered studying physical therapy in college and recently toured Duke.
In describing the nine mission trips she'd been on over the years, Orndorff said Kelsey's goal "was to just really help others."
She was even planning to preach at her father's church. The theme was going to explore having passion for Christ.
"That was her big thing, having passion and not
Kelsey stayed busy with advanced coursework, volleyball, basketball and soccer.
Among many extracurricular activities, she was co-president of the Culpeper United Methodist Church Youth Group, was a founding member of a praise band and volunteered at the Culpeper Free Clinic.
The high school's Athletic Director Doug Taylor called Kelsey a "sweet, sweet young lady" and a "spunky athlete."
Fredericksburg Christian High School senior class president Annie Vance, 17, said Kelsey was on her way to a concert by "American Idol" finalist Chris Sligh at the school on the night of the accident.
Vance said Kelsey's close friends have been taking the news of her death very hard, but that the senior class of more than 80 students has been "really united."
She recalled when Kelsey first caught her classmates' attention.
During a singing contest at a retreat last year, Kelsey very confidently started singing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," which impressed everyone.
"She was always happy, and she was hilarious," Vance said. "She was a really good spiritual leader for our school, she was a great Christian."
Yesterday afternoon, candles and flowers adorned a nondescript roadside memorial going east on Route 3 in front of Culpeper resident Kenneth Withrow's house.
Withrow said he heard the accident and ran to help, but was unable to open doors on either vehicle.
The Culpeper Star-Exponent newspaper reported Saturday that Cook is at University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville.
Last night, hospital representative Abena Foreman-Trice said Cook was in fair condition.
Full details on the accident were unavailable from the State Police yesterday.
Ever since Friday, Win-throw has had trouble sleeping.
A second roadside memorial a short distance away displays a cross and flowers--but those aren't for Kelsey, Winthrow said. That remembrance was from another accident which he said happened about six months ago. He noted that a lot of accidents happen along a curve in the two-lane road in front of his home near Clay Hill Road.
"It's a bad stretch of highway," Winthrow said. "This is a real speed zone through here."
A memorial service will be held at 7 o'clock tonight at Culpeper United Methodist church. A service of celebration will be tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Riverton United Methodist Church in Front Royal.
Corey Byers: 540/735-1976
Email: cbyers@freelancestar.com
