Community mourns death of 13-year-old Ursula Snow following off-road vehicle accident

A 13-year-old Shelburne girl, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in an off-road vehicle accident earlier this month, has died. Ursula Snow, a seventh-grader at the Four Rivers Charter School in Greenfield, died on Monday at 4 a.m., according to a statement from the school’s principal, Peter Garbus. “We are devastated to lose such an incredible young woman,” Garbus said in a message to school families following the teen’s passing on Monday. Snow was seriously injured on May 12 in Francestown, New Hampshire, when the off-road utility vehicle she was riding as a passenger in rolled on its side, pinning her underneath. According to a statement from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, the accident occurred on private property and friends and family members lifted the vehicle off the teen. Neither Snow nor the 49-year-old woman driving the vehicle were wearing seatbelts or helmets.The 13-year-old was flown by helicopter to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. The incident remains under investigation, according to fish and game officials.According to the CaringBridge page set up for Snow, the teen was in a coma in the days before her death.Immediately following the crash and her hospitalization, the community rallied around the seventh-grader and her family. A GoFundMe page raised more than $36,000 for her medical expenses — and her hoped-for rehabilitation.There was an outpouring of grief by those who knew her, following the news of her passing. “Losing a young person hits so deep,” Garbus said in a statement. “Ursula’s potential, what she could have accomplished for herself and our world, her spirit and energy — her family and all of us miss out on who she might have become. With such terrible loss, we also look forward with gratitude. We appreciate who she was, we are thankful she was a part of our lives, and we hope to carry forward her memory and legacy.”Charlie Spencer, head of the Greenfield Center School where Snow previously attended, wrote on Facebook of the impact left by the 13-year-old. “We know she fought hard for many days after her accident to stay with them and to stay in this world,” he wrote. “Ursi was a powerful person, with so much to give and so much left to do! People I love and trust say she is with us despite her death. I am inclined to believe that. She’s here in our memories, she’s here in our stories; and Ursula is here filling the hearts of Pam and John, her parents.” Garbus said in a message to students at Four Rivers that grief counselors were available to meet with those in need. “Our school community has been through a lot in such a short period of time,” he said. “We want everyone to feel supported at this very difficult time. Show kindness to one another and help classmates get support if you feel they need it.”A celebration of Snow’s life is planned for June 9 in Ashfield.  “She was, and remains, a beautiful force of smarts, love, and creativity,” Spencer said.

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