2006.08.15: August 15, 2006: Headlines: COS - Morocco: Obituaries: Tri-City Herald: Samantha Semmern had been accepted into the Peace Corps, and on the day she died learned she soon would be embarking for Morocco
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2006.08.15: August 15, 2006: Headlines: COS - Morocco: Obituaries: Tri-City Herald: Samantha Semmern had been accepted into the Peace Corps, and on the day she died learned she soon would be embarking for Morocco
Samantha Semmern had been accepted into the Peace Corps, and on the day she died learned she soon would be embarking for Morocco
"She had an unstoppable desire to see the world," he said. Semmern was getting ready to do just that. Her aunt, Dona Gilmour, said Semmern had been accepted into the Peace Corps, and on the day she died learned she soon would be embarking for Morocco. She had just received a letter detailing what her mission would entail and was set to teach English in the north African country.
Samantha Semmern had been accepted into the Peace Corps, and on the day she died learned she soon would be embarking for Morocco
Family, friends remember accident victim
Aug 15, 2006
Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, Wash.
Aug. 15--Samantha Semmern was excited to arrive home Saturday from a family vacation to Cannon Beach.
First thing, the 22-year-old asked to borrow a car to visit her boyfriend at the Amazon Bay pet store at the Uptown Shopping Center in Richland.
"She borrowed my car and said, 'I'll see you at dinner,' " said her mother, Linda Fastabend of Richland.
At 4:40 p.m., the young woman drove into the intersection of Van Giesen Street and Highway 240, where her car was struck on the driver's side by a 1998 Subaru.
The other driver, David Pleake, 51, of Kennewick, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, said Trooper James Zane of the Washington State Patrol.
The crash was one of two fatal accidents at stoplight-controlled intersections on Highway 240 during the weekend. In the second, a motorcyclist and a passenger riding in a car also were killed.
On Monday, friends and relatives left flowers and remembrances at the Van Giesen intersection. Many stopped to pay tribute to the Richland High School graduate and recent cum laude graduate of Western Washington University.
Paul Forney, Semmern's boyfriend, said she was full of life and always trying to make people happy.
"She was a peacemaker," he said.
The couple had spent many weekends traveling.
"She had an unstoppable desire to see the world," he said.
Semmern was getting ready to do just that. Her aunt, Dona Gilmour, said Semmern had been accepted into the Peace Corps, and on the day she died learned she soon would be embarking for Morocco.
She had just received a letter detailing what her mission would entail and was set to teach English in the north African country.
Semmern had a special interest in languages. She earned her bachelor's degree in linguistics and spoke two languages fluently and was proficient in five, her aunt said. She also played the flute, two types of clarinet, three types of saxophone and the piano.
"She was an exceptional young lady," Gilmour said. "She was just a shining star."
A memorial service is planned Friday. The services will take place at noon at Richland's Central United Protestant Church, with a reception to follow at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Richland.
State patrol investigators still are working to determine exactly what happened to cause the accident. Zane said troopers are interviewing witnesses and piecing together information.
State patrol officials also are still investigating a Sunday evening accident that killed Ronald G. Robbins, 55, of Kennewick, and Casey S. Gridley, 21, of Umatilla.
Cody Gridley was driving his 1996 Mitsubishi Galant west on Aaron Drive when the car and a motorcycle driven by Robbins collided at the Highway 240 intersection. State patrol officials said Robbins' Harley Davidson struck the car's front passenger door.
Passenger Casey S. Gridley and Robbins both died at the scene.
Gridley's family could not be reached Monday, and Robbins' family declined to comment.
Richland police Capt. Mike Cobb said both intersections are busy, but both also are relatively safe. He said the intersection of Highway 240 and Van Giesen Street has good lines of sight, while the intersection of Highway 240 and Aaron Drive has a low ratio of collisions, considering the number of cars using the crossroads daily.
When this story was posted in September 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:
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Story Source: Tri-City Herald
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Morocco; Obituaries
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