Teen killed in hit-and-run on US 401 was student at Rolesville High School
A 17-year-old girl killed in a hit-and-run accident Friday morning on U.S. 401 was a student at Rolesville High School, the Wake County Public School System confirmed.
The N.C. State Highway Patrol identified the teen as Ashlee Marie Llagostera of Raleigh.
Llagostera was an 11th grader at Rolesville High, according to a letter sent to parents by Principal Dhedra Lassiter, shared with The News & Observer by WCPSS spokesperson Lisa Luten.
“Ashlee has been part of the Rolesville community for several years and will be missed by the students and staff here, our hearts go out to Ashlee’s friends and family,” Lassiter wrote in the letter.
Lassiter said students were not notified of Llagostera’s death on Friday “because we were just receiving the news and wanted to honor the family’s privacy.”
Llagostera was hit by a vehicle on the highway — also known as Louisburg Road — between Lillie Liles and Forestville roads while walking around 1:30 a.m., 1st Sgt. Christopher Knox, a spokesperson for the Highway Patrol, told The N&O in an email.
Wendel Romual Ramirez-Silva, 27, of Raleigh, was driving a white 2016 Dodge Ram pickup north on U.S. 401, Knox said.
The investigation found Ramirez-Silva traveled to the right of the white line onto the paved shoulder, hit Llagostera and then fled the scene, Knox said.
Ramirez-Silva was involved in a separate collision in the same area around the same time, which the Rolesville Police Department handled, Knox said.
Rolesville police contacted the Highway Patrol about the investigation of the hit-and-run, “which in turn (led) to the discovery of the vehicle and involved driver,” Knox said.
Ramirez-Silva was arrested Friday and charged with aggravated felony death by vehicle, felony hit and run, reckless driving and driving while license revoked for driving while impaired, Knox said.
The accident slowed traffic in both directions, ABC11 reported. The crash was cleared as of 11 a.m., about three hours after being reported by the N.C. Department of Transportation. One of two southbound lanes, the right lane, was closed near Lillie Liles Road, DOT previously said.
Resources for Rolesville High students
In light of Llagostera’s death, school officials expect students may feel “anxious, sad, fearful, angry, or vulnerable,” Lassiter said in the letter.
“Parents, we are asking you to monitor and please be aware of social media, especially as it relates to your child,” Lassiter wrote. “They may be scared of losing someone else close to them. They may not even have known Ashlee but it could trigger other memories.”
Rolesville High parents and students can contact the school’s counselor, Lassiter said. Additional support for students and staff will be offered on Monday.
“Through encouraging discussion, being supportive of feelings, providing factual information and suggesting positive outlets, you can help your child be aware of and process his or her emotions,” Lassiter wrote to parents.
Students and families can also seek support through Transitions GriefCare, a Triangle counseling service that has partnered with WCPSS to provide free counseling.
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This story was originally published December 3, 2021 at 9:38 AM.
