Olivia Eichholz, 18, was driving to ILTexas Aggieland High School when police said her car crossed into oncoming traffic.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Olivia Eichholz, an 18-year-old senior at ILTexas Aggieland High School, died Monday morning in a head-on crash while driving to school from Caldwell, authorities and school officials said.
Eichholz’s death came just weeks before graduation and left classmates, church members, co-workers and family friends mourning a student remembered for service, kindness and energy. College Station police said the April 27 crash remains under investigation. The other driver, identified in local reports as Bryan resident Je’Cory Washington, was seriously injured.
The crash happened about 7:45 a.m. in the 5200 block of Raymond Stotzer Parkway, also known as Highway 60, near Easterwood Airport in College Station. Police said dispatchers received multiple 911 calls about a multi-vehicle crash with injuries and a possible fatality. A preliminary investigation found that a small sedan traveling east crossed into westbound lanes and collided with a pickup truck. Officers found the sedan’s driver dead at the scene. The pickup driver was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
International Leadership of Texas identified the student as a senior who was on her way to campus from Caldwell. Eddie Conger, founder and superintendent of ILTexas, said Eichholz was “loved and respected by students and by staff.” He said the school’s thoughts were with her parents and family after the fatal crash. Police have not said why Eichholz’s vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic. Westbound traffic was shut down after the crash and diverted onto FM 47 while investigators worked at the scene. Eastbound traffic was limited to one lane.
The crash also injured Washington, who was driving a work vehicle for Summit Fire and Security, according to local reports. Family members said he faces a long recovery and will have to relearn how to walk. Police said the cause of the crash remains under review. No additional investigative findings had been made public by Saturday, May 2. Authorities have not reported whether weather, speed, distraction or another factor played a role.
At ILTexas Aggieland High School, students built a memorial with pink flowers, handwritten notes and photos of Eichholz. Keirstyn Lawson, a senior who said she had known Eichholz for four years, said classmates organized the memorial themselves. “This was all student-led,” Lawson said. “Today, some of us are wearing pink. That was all student-led.” Pink was Eichholz’s favorite color and became a sign of grief across the school community.
Eichholz was a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps student and had hoped to join the U.S. Air Force, according to a fundraising page shared with her family’s permission by members of Aggieland Christian Church. The page said she was learning Mandarin Chinese and Spanish because she wanted to connect with more people. Alexis Kohler, a member of the church Eichholz attended, said the teen was “a bright, joyful presence who loved people deeply and brought so much life and energy to those around her.”
Those who knew Eichholz described her as steady, warm and quick to notice others. Evony Searles, associate principal at the ILTexas prekindergarten through eighth-grade campus, said she had watched Eichholz grow up alongside her own twin daughters. Searles said Eichholz encouraged students, checked on staff and brought joy into the hallway. Lawson said Eichholz often focused on others before herself. “I honestly don’t think there was ever a bad day that she ever had,” Lawson said.
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 that staff loved having her around. The restaurant closed for the week after her death, saying workers needed time to grieve. Co-worker Jordan Perkkio said she and Eichholz talked daily and that she became worried when Eichholz did not answer calls Monday morning.
A fundraising page said Eichholz is survived by her parents, Christopher and Christina, her younger sister Natalie and her younger brother Maxwell. The page said money raised would help cover funeral expenses and support the family. School and community memorials continued through the week as police kept reviewing the crash. By May 2, officials had not announced a final cause.
Author note: Last updated May 2, 2026.