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Jennifer Dickson, 18, was killed in a one-car crash around noon Friday in Pleasant Valley on southbound Route 47 (Freedom Road) near Frost Hill Road when her car struck a pole, according to police and school officials.
State police said Dickson had lost control of her 2007 Honda Fit and struck a utility pole. She was transported to MidHudson Regional Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
School Executive Principal Dr. Paul Fanuele said it was "somber" and "quiet" at the high school Monday.
"We held a moment of silence and have counselors on hand for any students or staff who might need to speak with someone," Fanuele said.
Just the day before her death Fanuele had handed Dickson a special "Oustanding Admiral" award for being a superior student who would graduate and have a job waiting for her after attending both the high school and the Dutchess BOCES Career and Technical Institute, where she studied cosmetology.
"She worked so hard and had the personality that matched the career she had chosen," he said.
For Fanuele, Dickson's death is eerie as it happened on the same day or the day before he lost three other seniors over the past two years, all to car accidents.
Arlington seniors Ryan Mucci and Dillon Colon died as the result of a car accident on May 31 last year and 18-year-old Arlington High School senior, Daniel Dangerfield, was killed in a crash on May 31, 2016.
Fanuele said he's sorry to have to say again that the school district and community will get through it: "We are tired of being tested, but we will persist and get through this together."
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