The University lost a devoted friend and musician on Saturday when second-year student Maria Diaz was killed on her way back to school from her Virginia Beach home.
Diaz died when the 1986 Saab she was driving ran off the left side of Route 64 West and slid sideways into a tree in New Kent County, Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corrine Geller said.
"She died at the scene," Geller said.
Police were called to the crash site at 5:17 p.m. on Saturday.
"The University is saddened by our loss of her and by her parents' loss of her," said Pablo J. Davis, assistant dean of students.
James Madison University student Kevin Ahlstrand also died in the accident.
"Both were wearing seatbelts," Geller said.
Diaz's parents, Al and Susan Diaz, were following the two in another automobile.
A state trooper, who responded to the call, reported Diaz's parents were about a minute behind.
The family was planning to drop Diaz off in Charlottesville before taking Ahlstrand on to Harrisonburg.
"Maria was the perfect child," according to her former boss Anthony Riccio, owner of the Oh Fudge store in Virginia Beach.
"She exuded personality and lived life to its fullest," Riccio said.
At the University, Diaz was involved with the music department. She played the French horn and was in the pit for the First Year Players' musical, "Damn Yankees.
She also was involved with the Catholic Students Fellowship at St. Thomas Aquinas Church.
"Attending U.Va. had been something Maria had always wanted to do. She loved the school," her father said.
Diaz made a strong impression on those who met her at the University.
"I only knew her for one year and yet she'd become my best friend," second-year student Ginger Haubert said.
"She was one of the most generally happy people I know," said third-year student Margaret Vest, Maria's resident assistant from Bonnycastle.
"She had a quote: 'A friend lends wings to the heart,'" said friend Allison Jetton, a second-year student. "I didn't really understand it, but looking back, she truly was an angel"
Read More
U.Va. Alumni Association submits plans for new Alumni Hall building
By Caroline Hagood | YesterdayWest said that despite the proposal moving through City Council’s review process, the project is still years away from becoming a reality.
Graduating student leaders reflect on how they impacted the University community
By Jackie Bond and Brandon Kile | 2 days agoAccording to Lilian Rojas, Board of Visitors student representative and fourth-year Batten student, the Class of 2024 is defined by its resilience.
D.C. baseball legend Ryan Zimmerman to deliver keynote Valedictory address
By Xander Tilock | 3 days agoFamously nicknamed “Mr. National” for his many contributions to the Washington, D.C. franchise, Zimmerman is considered one of the most successful alumni in Virginia baseball history.
