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Friends remember crash victim as 'free spirit'
Heather Hendrickson spent the evening of Oct. 18 like many other Potomac Falls High School students, dancing the night away at the school's annual homecoming dance.
But little did her friends and classmates know that would be the last night they would see Heather alive.
The 17-year-old Potomac Falls senior died in a single-car crash shortly after 7:30 a.m. Oct. 19.
According to Trooper Christopher Ihara of the Virginia State Police, Heather was driving a 2001 Ford Taurus west on Route 7 near Belmont Ridge Road when she tried to pass another vehicle, lost control of her car and hit a tree in the median.
Heather died at the scene of the crash. She was not wearing a seat belt, Ihara said, adding that excessive speed appears to be the main cause of the crash at this point in the investigation.
Heather's death happened at the very beginning of National Teen Driver Safety week, which lasts from Oct. 19 to Oct. 25.
She was on her way to work at the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg when the crash happened. She worked as a nursing assistant at the center every weekend, spokeswoman Kate Lee said.
“From what I understand, she was an incredibly hard worker and was very well-liked by her co-workers,” Lee said. “Everyone here is just deeply touched and saddened.”
After graduating from high school, Heather hoped to attend Virginia Tech to pursue a degree in veterinary medicine with a specialty in horse care.
Heather grew up in Sterling with her parents and two sisters before moving to Richmond and then back to Sterling. When she was 16, Heather's parents moved to Africa, but Heather stayed behind so she could keep attending school here, said her friend Desiree Waters, also a student at Potomac Falls.
Desiree said Heather stayed anywhere she could, even living with Desiree's family for a while.
Desiree knew Heather for 15 years. The two attended private school and church together in the past.
“She was a very, very independent person,” Desiree said, describing how Heather worked two jobs and paid her own bills.
Heather began attending Potomac Falls her junior year. Kathy Potvin also was a new student that year.
The two became good friends through their bond of being the new girls in school.
“We kind of clicked right off the bat,” Kathy said.
Heather often gave Kathy rides to school. Kathy described her friend as “an amazing person.”
“There's nothing bad to say about her,” Kathy said.
Heather lived with Desiree and her family last spring and early summer.
“[Heather] was always respectful to me and did everything I asked her to do around the house, more than my own kids,” said Peggy Waters, Desiree's mother.
Waters described Heather as less than 5 feet tall with very curly hair and beautiful eyes. She said Heather was a Christian girl who loved country music and was resilient, strong-willed, determined, decisive, direct, lively, energetic and persistent.
Both Waters and Desiree said Heather was a free spirit. That's what Desiree admired most about her friend.
“She would always speak her mind and be truthful, and I miss that,” Desiree said. “She wouldn't hold anything back.”
According to Desiree, Heather looked beautiful at the homecoming dance in spite of the struggles she has had to overcome.
“It seemed like that night, she just let everything go, and it seemed like for once she was sincerely happy,” Desiree said.
Kathy said she and Heather danced together a lot at homecoming.
“I still haven't fully accepted that she's gone,” Kathy said.
Contact the reporter at jwagoner@timespapers.com
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