Rainier High School community mourns 17-year-old girl killed in DUI crash

Students and staff at Rainier High School are mourning the death of 17-year-old Jessie Uch, who was killed in a DUI car crash on Saturday.

RAINIER, Wash. - Students and staff at Rainier High School are mourning the death of 17-year-old Jessie Uch, who was killed in a DUI car crash on Saturday.

Uch was in the passenger seat of a car driven by her boyfriend according to loved ones, an 18-year-old teen. Thurston County Sheriff's deputies say he was driving under the influence. Authorities say the teen was driving northbound near Rainier Rd SE and 138th Ave SE around 5:45 p.m., when he lost control at the curve and swerved over the oncoming lane.

Another car was driving south and struck the car on the passenger side, killing Uch.

He was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital, then transferred to Harborview for treatment of serious injuries. The driver in the other car, a 24-year-old woman, was taken Providence with non-life-threatening injuries.

Candi Shelton, has known Uch since she was just 4-year-old. She says the teens were on their way to dinner and to run some errands when the unexpected happened.

"She was just always polite. and caring, you can just tell she has a full heart of love in her and always wanting to share that," Shelton said. "She still had so much life and or it's very hard to think she's not here anymore."

The 17-year-old was a senior and cheerleader at Rainier High School.

Her loss has impacting the close knit community – a family – many mourning her tragic loss. Some student still coping and grieving did not attend class Monday.

"We just miss her, this shouldn't have happened, and our hearts are broken and light is gone," Shelton said.

Rainer School District Superintendent Bryon Bahr says they will be offering counseling services to both students and staff.

He sent us this statement, saying in part, "Jessie touched many people in her lifetime and her loss has, and will continue to have, enormous impacts on our students, staff and community members. Anytime we suffer such a tragic loss of a precious, young life the community, as a whole, will feel the reverberations for quite some time. It is important that we continue to support each other and do what we can to ensure that our children have the supportive environment that they need to navigate this loss and the subsequent healing process."

Deputies say Jessie’s boyfriend smelled of alcohol, he was taken in for driving under the influence.

Uch's loss taking a toll on her family.

"The family has a lot of anger has a lot of sadness, they still have a lot of questions," Shelton said. " Tt could have been prevented. We feel like it's something that should never have been happened."

Shelton set up a GoFundMe to help lay Jessie to rest.

"She was pure sunshine, always smiling, genuine and caring. She was truly loved by all," wrote fundraiser organizer Candi Shelton. "Life is not fair taking her away so soon over something so senseless and preventable. We will never understand."

It raised over $15,000 in less than 24 hours. Shelton says her goal is to help the family heal.

A lighted vigil will be held in her honor Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Rainier High School Gym.

The 18-year-old will be charged with vehicular homicide and vehicular assault once he is released from the hospital.

Loved ones hope Jessie's loss will be a lesson for everyone to never drink and drive.

"kids need to think, they think that nothing's going to happen to them and they feel invincible," Shelton said. "They really need to think about what they're going to do and how it's going to impact them."

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