‘Sweetheart of a girl’: Community in mourning after 17-year-old killed in Duxbury car crash

DUXBURY, Mass. — A teenage girl who passed away after a crash in Duxbury over the weekend struck a tree and had to be extricated from the wreckage, authorities announced in an update on Tuesday.

Officers responding to a report of a single-car crash into a tree in the area of Harrison Street just before 12:30 a.m. on Saturday found a 17-year-old Pembroke girl trapped in her wrecked vehicle, according to the Duxbury Police Department.

“The juvenile was unresponsive and needed to be extricated from the vehicle with the Jaws of Life,” the department said in a news release.

The girl was flown to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she died from her injuries on Monday night.

She has been identified as Madison Straub, known as Maddie.

“I got to know her pretty well,” said George Howe, a board member of Pembroke Youth Baseball and Softball. “She was just a sweetheart of a girl.”

Working essentially as her manager, Howe got to know Straub because she worked at the snack shack adjacent to the organization’s baseball fields.

“You know, she was just one of those girls you meet, kids that you meet, that you can tell was just going places,” Howe said. “Was gonna do things in this world.”

Howe said despite the fact Straub had braces she had a big smile and was always laughing and joking.

“When she laughed, she just lit up the place,” he said. “She was just that type of kid — just a great, great kid.”

Howe had the difficult task of letting Straub’s co-workers know she wasn’t coming back — that included his 15-year-old daughter.

“It’s been nothing but heart emojis and prayers,” he said. “Just a great young girl. Dynamic. We’re going to miss her greatly.”

Howe organized a vigil for Straub Wednesday night at the PYBS field complex.

“What we’re gonna do is just light up the fields and send her a message that we love her and we miss her,” he said.

“Our deepest condolences go out to the friends and family of the victim,” Duxbury Police Chief Michael Carbone said in a statement.

Massachusetts State Police are assisting Duxbury police with an investigation into the cause of the crash.

There were no additional details immediately available.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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