Girl dies in car accident

A teenage girl was killed in a car accident last week near Nespelem.

Rickey Lynn Louie-Burris, 15, a sophomore at Lake Roosevelt High School, died last Wednesday evening in a one-car accident on Gold Lake Road.

Reports were that speed could have been the cause of the accident. One person at the scene said the automobile was pretty well demolished.

Details of the accident were not provided by Tribal Police after numerous attempts to obtain information.

A person close to the scene stated that there were a number of people in the vehicle and some were taken to Coulee Medical Center for treatment or observation.

It was reported that the son of a Tribal Police officer was the driver of the car.

A report stated that the car had apparently rolled over.

A family rosary was held Sunday and a rosary and wake was held Monday at the Nespelem Community Center, with graveside services at Nespelem Catholic Cemetery.

Louie-Burris participated in a number of sports at Lake Roosevelt, with volleyball her favorite.

A special assembly was held at the school last Thursday to inform students of the tragic death. Ways to express their feelings were made available to students, and counselors and staff were on hand to speak with students.

Students brought flowers and placed them in front of Burris’ locker.

One observer said the Monday funeral was the largest he had ever seen at the Community Center.

See obituary on page 4.