Friends, family remember ‘Tabby’ Hudson teen killed in accident on way to cheering practice in Corinth

CORINTH – A beautiful girl who was loved by everyone. That’s how Alice Murphy described her 15-year-old daughter.

Tabitha “Tabby” Murphy of Hudson was walking to cheering practice around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday when she was struck by a car and killed.

“[Cheering] was all she wanted to do,” her mother said Thursday.

Central High School Principal Garry Spencer said students and staff at the high school focused on making it through the day Thursday.

Many students had learned of the death of their classmate the night before. The entire staff was called Wednesday night to make them aware of the situation.

At a 7:15 a.m. staff meeting Thursday, the plan for the day was laid out, and a place was designated for students who needed to grieve to meet with counselors, clergy or just sit and talk.

“Students were there supporting each other,” Spencer said, noting that things were “much better toward the end of the day than at the beginning.”

Tabby’s immediate family, including her sister Jerica, who is a senior at CHS, also visited the school Thursday to share scrapbooks and photos with Tabby’s classmates.

“It was incredible,” Alice Murphy said. “Everybody, even if they didn’t hang out with her, they cried.”

“It’s very neat the way everyone’s come together,” Spencer said.

Several other school districts called Central High School on Thursday to offer their condolences and, if needed, services.

For students who chose to attend class, teachers tried to keep the routine as normal as possible, Spencer said.

All after-school activities were canceled for the day, and the principal said there would be a staff meeting in the afternoon to discuss the plan for today.

The accident remains under investigation as police try to sort out what exactly happened.

At first, police said Tabby was crossing Route 15 to get to Central High School, but said Thursday that she apparently was walking in the same direction as traffic when she was hit.

“It did not appear that she was crossing the road,” State Trooper David Yankowsky said. “Her injuries were consistent to her being struck from behind.”

It is unclear, however, whether the girl was in the roadway, or whether the driver, James Seward, 49, of Exeter, had veered into the breakdown lane with his 1981 Lincoln Continental.

Wednesday’s heavy rain made for poor visibility, and police said there were no markings on the pavement or the vehicle that could help determine where either Seward or Tabby was on the road.

Seward and his wife, Donna, 48, a passenger in the vehicle, were not injured in the accident.

“Unfortunately, Tabitha was wearing a black sweat shirt and black jeans,” Yankowsky said. “It definitely would have been very hard to see her.”

In addition to cheering, Tabby Murphy was involved in numerous school activities, including the yearbook committee, chorus and band.

When the junior varsity cheering squad didn’t have enough members to compete, Murphy went out and recruited more.

“She just had so much school spirit,” Alice Murphy said, adding that her daughter was a beautiful soul who made friends everywhere she went.

Tabby also loved her guitar and had just learned to play “Amazing Grace.”

“That was her baby,” Alice Murphy said, referring to a picture of Tabby holding her guitar. “She was going to get an electric baby for Christmas.”

When asked if there was anything else she wanted to add, Alice Murphy said in a quavering voice: “Parents need to hug their kids more. Every time you say goodbye could be the last.”

Anyone who has information about Wednesday’s accident is asked to call the Maine State Police at 866-2121.