The April 27 wreck near Easterwood Airport also seriously injured a Bryan man driving a work truck.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Olivia Marie Eichholz, 18, a senior at ILTexas Aggieland High School, died April 27 after police said her car crossed into oncoming traffic on Raymond Stotzer Parkway as she drove to school from Caldwell, Texas.
Eichholz’s death came just weeks before graduation and turned a Monday morning commute into a loss felt across her school, church, workplace and family circle. College Station police said the crash remained under investigation, while classmates built a memorial on campus and relatives of the injured pickup driver said he faced a long recovery.
The crash happened about 7:45 a.m. in the 5200 block of Raymond Stotzer Parkway, also known as Highway 60, near Easterwood Airport. Police said dispatchers received several 911 calls about a multi-vehicle crash with injuries and a possible death. A preliminary investigation found that a small sedan traveling east crossed into the westbound lanes and hit a pickup truck. Officers found the sedan’s driver dead at the scene. The pickup driver was taken to a local hospital. College Station police said westbound traffic was shut down and diverted onto FM 47 while officers worked at the scene. Eastbound traffic was limited to one lane during the response.
International Leadership of Texas later identified the student as Eichholz, a senior who was on her way to campus from Caldwell. Eddie Conger, founder and superintendent of ILTexas, said the news was devastating and that Eichholz was loved and respected by students and staff. Conger said the school’s thoughts were with her parents and family. Police have not said why Eichholz’s vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic. Authorities also have not announced whether speed, distraction, weather or another factor played a role. By Sunday, no charges had been reported, and no final crash finding had been released.
The pickup driver was identified in local reports as Je’Cory Washington, a Bryan man who was driving a work vehicle for Summit Fire and Security. His family said he suffered serious injuries and would have to relearn how to walk. A fundraising page created for Washington described medical bills, rehabilitation costs and daily expenses after the crash. The same wreck left two families facing very different parts of the same event, with Eichholz’s family planning farewell expenses and Washington’s supporters preparing for a long recovery. Police said the cause remained under review by the College Station Police Department.
At ILTexas Aggieland High School, students placed pink flowers, handwritten notes and photos of Eichholz at a campus memorial. Pink was her favorite color, and classmates wore it as a sign of grief. Keirstyn Lawson, a senior who said she had known Eichholz for four years, said students organized the memorial themselves. “This was all student-led,” Lawson said. “Today, some of us are wearing pink. That was all student-led.” Lawson said Eichholz often focused on others before herself and carried a steady joy into school. “I honestly don’t think there was ever a bad day that she ever had,” Lawson said.
Eichholz was a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps student and had hoped to join the U.S. Air Force, according to a family-supported fundraising page. The page said she was learning Mandarin Chinese and Spanish because she wanted to connect with more people. It also said she is survived by her parents, Christopher and Christina, her younger sister, Natalie, and her younger brother, Maxwell. Alexis Kohler, a member of Aggieland Christian Church, where Eichholz attended services, events and camps, described her as “a bright, joyful presence who loved people deeply and brought so much life and energy to those around her.”
Others who knew Eichholz described her as warm, steady and quick to notice people around her. Evony Searles, associate principal at the ILTexas prekindergarten through eighth-grade campus, said she had watched Eichholz grow up alongside her own twin daughters, who were among Eichholz’s closest friends. Searles said Eichholz encouraged younger students, checked on staff and brought joy into the hallways. “She was a beautiful light to the school,” Searles said. “She loved life. She brought so much joy.” Searles said the girls had talked about future plans, including an apartment, college roommate ideas and a trip to San Antonio for a friend’s graduation.
Eichholz also worked at Country Burger in Somerville, where co-workers said she had been part of the team for about a year. Dora Duesterhoft, her boss, said customers liked Eichholz’s smile and staff loved having her around. “She was hard-working and respectful,” Duesterhoft said. “Customers liked her smile.” The restaurant closed for the week after her death, saying workers needed time to grieve. Co-worker Jordan Perkkio said she and Eichholz talked every day and that she became worried when Eichholz did not answer calls Monday morning. Heather Heyman, another co-worker, said the news still did not feel real.
As of Sunday, May 3, police had not announced a final cause in the crash. School and community memorials continued, Washington’s recovery remained underway, and the next public update depends on the College Station Police Department’s continuing investigation.
Author note: Last updated May 3, 2026.