Classmates remember Trinity teen killed in crash

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We now know who was behind the wheel of a vehicle that ran a red light, hitting and killing a Pasco County teenager.

The crash happened Tuesday afternoon on State Road 54 and Duck Slough Boulevard in New Port Richey. In total, four cars were involved. Lillia Morris, 17, died at the scene.

According to the crash report, there were three people inside the SUV that struck Morris' vehicle. After further investigation, troopers determined that it was 54-year-old Roy Rimmer who was behind the wheel at the time of the crash.

It was a terribly difficult day for students and staff at J.W. Mitchell High School, where Morris was a student. They're remembering her as someone who was kind, compassionate and dedicated to the medical field.

"You couldn't see her and her smile without smiling yourself," said friend Aidan McCall. "She radiated a light of happiness around the school."

"She was always in a good mood," said friend Jessica Kalo. "You could never find her in a bad mood. She was always smiling. She always brought laughter to you if you needed someone to just talk to. She was always a shoulder to lean on even if you didn't know her."

Wednesday, Morris' absence was painfully apparent.

"It's hard when a student who has everything in front of her passes away," said Principal Jessica Schultz.

Tuesday afternoon, Morris was on her way to work at Trinity Spine Center. Troopers say, as she turned onto State Road 54 from Duck Slough Boulevard, another driver ran a red light, hitting her vehicle and pushing it into two others. Morris died at the scene.

While troopers initially searched for Brandon Windom because he walked away from the crash, they later clarified that he was not the driver -- though he was arrested on drug charges and tampering with evidence.

Wednesday afternoon, FHP identified 54-year-old Roy Rimmer as the driver responsible for the deadly crash.

So far, no charges have been filed against Rimmer in connection with the crash. Troopers are awaiting the results of a toxicology test. At a minimum, they say Rimmer could face a ticket for running a red light. At maximum, if drugs or alcohol show up in his blood at the time of the crash, he could be charged with DUI manslaughter.

"Even if you're the one driving safe on the road, there's others who aren't," McCall said.

As the news spread, classmates with Health Occupations Students of America, or HOSA, an organization Morris was a part of, started a GoFundMe page. In less than a day, it had raised more than $11,000 for her family.

"She was just so compassionate and loving," McCall said. "She wanted to be a pediatric nurse so when we did health screenings at the elementary schools with the kids, she was just in her natural environment."

Principal Schultz is now encouraging students to honor Lillia's life by giving back, just as she did.

"Remember Lillia and the things she did, that students need to volunteer, they need to be involved in their community," Schultz said.

"It's a sad moment to know that she is not going to be at school anymore," Kalo said. "In fourth period, there is an empty seat for her and you know that no one is ever going to sit in that seat again because it's not the same. It's heartbreaking knowing that she's gone."