Vigil planned to honor Apex High School student who died in car crash

APEX, N.C. (WNCN) -- A vigil is planned for Sunday evening to remember an Apex High School student who died in a vehicle crash last week, officials said. Samantha “Sammy” Faith Mele died in the wreck in Virginia on April 19, just two days after her 17th birthday, according to her obituary. Apex Mayor Jacques Gilbert said Samantha was a "beloved student at Apex High School whose light and laughter touched so many lives." Samantha was a member of the Apex cheer and stunt teams, her obituary said. "At the request of Samantha’s family, we will gather to honor her life and vibrant spirit at a Vigil and Celebration of Life," Gilbert wrote on Facebook where he also posted a photo of her. The vigil is planned from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Town Hall Campus Courtyard, Gilbert said. "In times of sorrow, Apex shows who we truly are. We come together. We support one another. We wrap our arms around those who are hurting," Gilbert wrote. Samantha was born in Charlotte and had lived in Mississippi and Washington State before Apex, her obituary said. "Sammy was a vibrant and gifted young woman whose light touched everyone who knew her. An accomplished athlete, she had a lifelong love of gymnastics and embraced every challenge with determination and grace," her family wrote in her obituary. Her family said she was also an avid reader, a talented writer, and an "expressive artist who often filled notebooks with her drawings and thoughts." Samantha leaves behind three sisters and her parents, Melissa and Eric Mele. Eric Mele is an assistant special teams football coach for James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The crash that killed Samantha happened just after 10 p.m. on April 18, in the 4200 block of Highway 58 in Emporia, Virginia, according to the Emporia Police Department. Samantha was the passenger in a Kia Forte that was driven by another 17-year-old, police said in a news release. The driver of the Kia crossed the median into oncoming traffic, hitting a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado head-on, police said. The teen driver was injured, and Samantha was flown to VCU Medical Center Main Hospital in Richmond, where she later died, police said. One person in the Silverado suffered a broken leg, but there were no other serious injuries. A funeral and burial for Samantha were held Thursday and Friday, according to Apex Funeral Home, which has listed memorial information.