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The death of 18-year-old Lily Jane Taylor in an automobile accident two years ago brought a premature end to a life that friends and family, without exception, described as special.
“In the short amount of time that she was at Pfeiffer, she definitely left a lasting impression, especially on me,” said Brittney Washington, a former Pfeiffer admissions counselor who worked closely with Taylor during her enrollment process.

Taylor died Jan. 11, 2023.
“Once you got to know her, she was the best person you could ever meet,” said classmate Destiny Wilson.
“She was really a great kid all the way around and she will be missed,” recalled instructor Justin Fainter.
“Lily always put others before herself,” added Washington. “For an 18-year-old to do that, it just shined light on who she was as a person.”
Taasha Taylor, Lily’s mother, acknowledged her daughter as friendly, outgoing and engaging, but also courageous.
“Lily was a wonderful young lady, but she was also a brave young lady,” she recalled on Thursday, relating her daughter’s decision to attend a different high school from her long-time friends and classmates in her native Massachusetts.
“It was a mindful and mature decision on her part,” said Taasha. “We have school choice here, and Lily made her choice based on what she felt would best help her prepare for the future. The opportunity for her to do that presented her with the best atmosphere for learning and growing…she really came into her own and grew more independent.”
Likewise, Lily’s decision to attend Pfeiffer (some 850 miles from her Cape Cod area home) exemplified her independent and fortuitous spirit.
“Lily’s grandparents live in Mt. Gilead, and her cousins attended Gray Stone, so she became familiar with Pfeiffer,” Taasha said. “She had researched a number of colleges, but the people at Pfeiffer were caring and helpful, and really reached out to her.”
Last year, on the one-year anniversary of her death Pfeiffer University dedicated Jane Freeman Hall Room 111 in her memory.
“Pfeiffer is full of hope and aspiration, and so was Lily,” Pfeiffer President Dr. Scott Bullard said last year. “Sadly, when a community experiences a tragedy such as this, it impacts the entire campus. This could have been any of us. Lily reminds us that how we use our time matters. Although Lily was on campus for a brief time, her positive impact is evident in the lives of her peers.”
The tragic loss of a young lady with so much to offer has moved her family to bring attention to the dangers posed by distracted drivers.
“The crash was bizarre,” said Taasha. “There was no adverse weather or poor visibility. It was a sunny day at 1:30 in the afternoon. And it was 100 percent preventable.”
According to reports from the N.C. Highway Patrol, the accident occurred on N.C. Highway 24-27 just east of Albemarle when the driver of a dump truck went left of center and sideswiped a vehicle in front of the car Lili was driving. The dump truck then continued west in the eastbound lane and collided with the left front of her vehicle.
“We want to remind drivers to pay attention,” Taasha said.
To that end, the family has adopted the section of N.C. 24-27 along which the accident occurred in Lily’s memory. A lighted marker which the family maintains has been placed at the accident scene as well.
“It helps with recovery for us to continue to honor Lily’s memory,” she added.
Some information for this story was taken from reports originally posted in The Stanly News & Press and The Salisbury Post.

Toby Thorpe is a freelance writer for The Stanly News & Press.