A Culbreth Middle School student and her mother were killed when their vehicle was hit head-on by a commercial vehicle on Monday afternoon.

A message sent to parents on Tuesday by the Culbreth principal said that seventh-grade student Abigail Rice and her mother, Heather Rice, were killed in the crash. State Highway Patrol officials confirmed the deaths on Wednesday afternoon.

Rice’s vehicle was traveling in the northbound lanes of 15-501 in Chatham County around 2 p.m. Monday, according to law enforcement, when a tractor-trailer crossed the center line and struck the vehicle head-on. The tractor-trailer had been traveling southbound when it failed to reduce speed as it approached two other vehicles, which were stopped as the lead vehicle was waiting to make a left turn into a residence.

The tractor-trailer collided with the two vehicles in the southbound lane before crossing into northbound traffic and hitting Rice’s vehicle, authorities said.

SHP officials said the investigation is ongoing, but alcohol was not believed to be a factor in the crash. The district attorney for Orange and Chatham counties Jim Woodall said Wednesday afternoon that the investigation is still in its early stages and it would be too early to comment on possible charges, but that his office has been in contact with law enforcement regarding the crash.

A crisis team was at Culbreth Middle School to help with students coping with the news, according to the message sent to parents.

“Please know this is the most difficult issue a school will face,” Culbreth principal Monica Bintz wrote, “but we will lock arms and help one another.”

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