Shelby soldier dies in California hit-and-run, troopers say

MONTEREY, Calif. — A soldier from Shelby has died after a hit-and-run incident in California earlier this week, according to highway patrol.

A spokesperson told KSWB that the accident occurred on November 10.

Troopers responded to the two-vehicle crash on northbound Highway 1 just past Aguajito Road around 9:45 a.m.

It was later revealed that a silver Nissan crashed into a black Honda. The Honda lost control, veered off the road, and crashed into a tree.

The driver of the Nissan then left the scene, according to KSWB.

The driver of the Honda, 19-year-old Maddie Elizabeth Fletcher, died at the scene. Fletcher, a Shelby native, was a Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center student.

“Private First Class Maddie Fletcher was a model young soldier, an aspiring DLIFLC linguist, and an excellent student, whose life was tragically taken from her Sunday morning. Our deepest sympathies were expressed to her family, and our entire institute now mourns the loss of our fellow service member and friend,” said Col. Christy L. Whitfield, Commandant of DLIFLC. “Any assistance from the Monterey community to help identify the person who caused this preventable loss would be greatly appreciated.”

Troopers told KSWB that they were still looking for the driver of the silver Nissan.

It is unknown if alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash.

The investigation into this crash is active and ongoing.

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