SANPETE COUNTY, Utah — A woman from Tooele County who was on the Snow College softball team died Monday after a car crash.
The school confirmed that Paige Rydalch, a sophomore, was killed in a crash involving two cars on State Route 132 Monday morning.
Utah Highway Patrol said Rydalch was driving a Chevrolet Cavalier southbound and lost control due to the wet, slushy road near Fountain Green, which is about 20 miles north of Ephraim. Her car spun and went into the oncoming lanes, where it was hit by a Ford F-350 towing a trailer. UHP said she was killed upon impact.
Rydalch was from the town of Stockton and attended Tooele High School. She enjoyed "riding horses, chasing cows, camping and fishing," according to her player bio.
“This has shocked and saddened our softball family," said Rob Nielson, the college's vice president of external affairs. "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."
Nielson helped coach the Badgers' team last year, according to an announcement released Monday evening by Snow College.
"A tragedy like this impacts all of us. We are grieving the loss of a beloved young woman. We will do all we can to support Paige’s coaches, teammates, classmates, and family during this difficult time,” Snow College President Stacee McIff said.
The announcement said the team will dedicate their season to Rydalch "in honor of the way she lived her life on and off the field."
The tragic accident occurred the same day as two other fatal crashes in the state of Utah: one in Tooele, where an employee died after a minivan crashed into the store where she worked, and another in West Valley City, where a semi-truck driver died after crashing into another vehicle and rolling.
