Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
DAVENPORT--The local community is mourning the loss of one of its own this week. Ruthie J. Massie, 21, Davenport was killed in a single-vehicle rollover crash that also injured five girls Monday, Feb. 21 at 12:40 p.m., according to a release from Washington State Patrol.
According to the report, a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Massie was traveling eastbound on Highway 2 when it lost control and flipped off the highway north into the field north of Highway 2, where it came to rest upright.
Four of the passengers were 11-year-old girls and one was a 10-year-old girl. All five were injured in the crash. Only one of the car’s occupants, the 10-year-old girl, were wearing seatbelts, according to the report.
The names of the five injured passengers were not released by State Patrol due to their juvenile status.
Next-of-kin was completed by Lincoln Hospital's Davenport location, the report said.
Almost everyone locally seemed to know Massie and her family.
Sydney Abbott, who graduated from Davenport High School with Massie in 2018, considered her a childhood best friend after going through grade school together.
“She was beautiful inside and out. Anytime I was with her I enjoyed my life,” Abbott said. “She was a really good person to be around.”
Sarah Raugust was Massie’s sixth-grade English and seventh-grade math teacher. Raugust remembers Massie having a different type of smile for each emotion she was trying to display in class.
“She would always try to challenge me in the best of ways as a teacher,” Raugust said. “She would advocate for others. If there was an injustice, she would advocate against that.”
“We understood each other due to our competitive spirit, our love for joking around with each other and love for life.”
Massie, the daughter of Todd and Molly Massie, had a high motor and loved to get her hands dirty, peers related.
“She was the type of person that would just want to roll around in the dirt,” Abbott said. “We used to take mopeds and ride around in the mud at our friend (Alison Halme’s) house.”
“She loved being free, and was a little bit bossy,” Raugust added. “But I am too, so we appreciated each other for that. She was a little jokester and prankster and loved doing funny things to people.”
Others remembered Massie’s adventurous zest for life. She could often be spotted hanging out with a group of young adults at a home on Main Street.
“She was adventurous and just loved life. She loved her family and friends dearly,” wrote family friend Gabe Gants. “(She) had an infectious warm smile and was always so positive.”
“She was spunky, fun and brought a smile to the face of everyone that she came into contact with,” added high school principal Chad Prewitt. “We are all grieving this loss…I will always remember her for her quick wit, her free spirit and for her love for her family and friends.”
Massie’s funeral is scheduled for Feb. 26 at the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church of Davenport at 11 a.m., with a viewing at 10 a.m. A viewing will also occur Friday, Feb. 25 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The services are open to the public.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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