STANWOOD — The grieving mother of a teenage girl killed in a car accident early Saturday morning wants drivers to remember two simple words: Slow down.
Leanne Floyd has seen the names of others who died too young painted on the wall of a barn off Marine Drive in Stanwood. Now, she faces the prospect of her 17-year-old daughter, Ellen Rose Floyd, being added to the informal memorial.
The 17-year-old was a passenger in a convertible Mustang that crashed around 4 a.m. Saturday on Old Pacific Highway.
“We do not need any more names on the barn,” Floyd said in a written statement shared by a friend Tuesday. “These children need to slow down and be aware of the danger. You are not invincible.”
Detectives from the Snohomish County Collision Investigation Unit continue to investigate.
“We do believe a high rate of speed is a factor,” said Rebecca Hover, a spokeswoman for the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.
Family friend Karen McMillan said Ellen Floyd was looking into going back to school to become a dental assistant. Some of her favorite things in life were music, dancing and being with her friends. She also enjoyed pita chips, hummus and Sprite.
On Tuesday morning balloons, bouquets of flowers and a heart with a cross inside were tied to alder trees at the site of the accident, just south of 300th Street NW.
“Ellen” was spelled out in wooden letters, decorated with butterflies, nailed to one of the trees. On the ground, someone had left a Nestle Crunch bar and a can of Red Bull.
Floyd, who was born in Australia, first enrolled in Stanwood schools in 1997, according to school district records. She attended Stanwood High School from 2006 through December 2009.
A memorial service is set for 4 p.m. Friday at the Stanwood Foursquare Church, 27007 90th Ave NW. A reception will follow at The Station, 8713 271st St. NW.
Floyd died of head injuries at the scene. The car ran off the road and she was thrown during the wreck.
A young man detectives believe was driving the vehicle was injured in the crash. His condition was not available Tuesday.
When officers arrived at the accident scene Saturday they found the man inside the wrecked vehicle’s trunk. How he got there is still being investigated, Hover said.
Some have speculated in public comments on The Herald’s online publication, www.heraldnet.com, that the man was in the trunk the whole time, and that someone else was driving.
Not so, Hover said.
“We have solid evidence that he was driving the car two to three minutes before the accident,” she said.
Reporter Gale Fiege contributed to this story.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com
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