SANPETE COUNTY, Utah, Jan. 17, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — The Utah Highway Patrol has released more information about the two-vehicle collision Monday which claimed the life of Paige Rydalch, a Snow College softball player.
Rydalch, 20, of Stockton, was driving south on State Route 132 just north of Fountain Green when the accident happened at about 9:57 a.m., a Utah Highway Patrol statement says.
Rydalch was driving a white Chevy Cavalier.
“A Silver Ford F-350 with a large gooseneck flatbed trailer attached was traveling north in the same location,” the UHP statement says. “The Cavalier car lost control on the road that was wet and slushy.
“The car spun backward on the road and into the lane of travel of the Ford. The driver of the Ford could not stop in time and impacted the car’s rear, pushing it off the road. After impact, the Ford went up on the car, with the front bumper ending on the front dash.”
Rydalch, alone in her car, was killed on impact, the statement says.
Snow College posted the news of its student athlete’s death on Monday.
“This has shocked and saddened our softball family,” said Rob Nielson, Snow College’s vice president for external affairs who helped coach the softball team last season. “We know Paige, and we love her. She was a dedicated player who always put in the extra mile. She made others feel loved and had a work ethic like no other.”
Rydalch was a sophomore infielder for the Badgers and a four-year letter winner at Tooele High School, according to her Snow College softball bio.
“A tragedy like this impacts all of us. We are grieving the loss of a beloved young woman,” Snow College President Stacee McIff said. “We will do all we can to support Paige’s coaches, teammates, classmates, and family during this difficult time.”
The Snow College softball team plans to dedicate the 2023 season to Rydalch “in honor of the way she lived her life on and off the field,” the news release states.
