Enfield, NY : 23-year-old Ashley Hair died, two injured in 2-vehicle crash on Mecklenburg Road in Enfield on Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Ashley Hair, the victim of a car accident Wednesday in Enfield, is remembered by friends and colleagues as a kind person who loved her family and always wore a smile.

On Wednesday morning, Ms. Hair, 23, was riding in a pickup truck with her father, Paul Carl, 49, of Enfield, and his 12-year-old son, Jacob Carl, when the truck collided with a garbage truck on Mecklenburg Road in Enfield, New York State Police said. Carl, who was driving, failed to notice the Casella Waste Systems garbage truck that was parked on the eastbound side of the road, police said.

Ms. Hair and Carl were flown to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania. She sustained severe head injuries and died Wednesday evening. Carl remains in critical condition at the hospital. His son was taken to Cayuga Medical Center by ambulance, treated and released.

Ms. Hair graduated from Ithaca High School in 2010. She worked as a substitute aide in the Ithaca City School District.

She often worked at the Belle Sherman Elementary School. Lisa Horton, a secretary at the Belle Sherman Annex, said Ms. Hair was supposed to work at Boynton Middle School on Wednesday and Thursday and was likely on her way there Wednesday morning.

Horton said she knew Ms. Hair for about four years and said she was always cheery, kind and thoughtful. She was always happy or joking.

"I'm going to miss seeing her smile," Horton said.

She said Ms. Hair loved working with children, and the children loved her.

Ms. Hair had worked at Belle Sherman, usually in the annex, about three years and throughout that time was known as a kind, thoughtful and warm person. Horton said she and the staff at the school was still in shock after learning of the news Thursday. She had last been working there on Tuesday.

Ms. Hair was also known to be reliable and always filled in when needed. Horton said Ms. Hair would be waiting for her call at 6:30 a.m. every day because she loved being there.

"She's just such a warm-hearted young lady. She's going to be greatly, greatly missed," Horton said. "She was just a beautiful person, inside and out."

Ms. Hair worked at other school's in the district, too, including Boynton Middle School and Ithaca High School.

A teacher at Boynton Middle School, Stephen Kirsch, taught Ms. Hair when she attended middle school there and also when she was occasionally substitute.

"When she first got there she was rather shy, but in three years she blossomed," Kirsch said.

He knew Ms. Hair as a dedicated and conscientious student "who always tried to do her best." She was the type of person to stay after and put up chairs, he said.

Ms. Hair meshed well with the community and when Kirsch saw her return to Boynton as a substitute, he said "it was kind of like she was coming back home."

Sharon Gublo, who was Ms. Hair's counselor for four years at the high school, also characterized Ms. Hair was always happy. She said Ms. Hair made an impact on her and even though she hadn't spoken to her much since she graduated, Ms. Hair still stood out to her as someone special.

Gublo, Kirsch and Horton all mentioned how much Ms. Hair loved and talked about her family.

Horton said she would always dote on her nieces and nephews. Horton said she was always thankful to get hours, especially near Christmastime, Horton said, because Ms. Hair was excited to have some extra money to buy everyone presents.

In high school, Gublo said Ms. Hair loved her dogs and would always show her pictures. Ms. Hair told her she wanted to work with animals one day.

While a student, Gublo said Ms. Hair was a hard worker in all of her classes and had many friends.

"She was a very sweet, young lady," Gublo said. "She always had a smile on her face."

Source :
Upstate New York woman injured in 2-vehicle crash dies from injuries; man, son hospitalized