Life changed drastically for the family and friends of ASU West student Shequila James-Hardeman after her death in a car accident April 8.
"She was just an all-around great person. She had a lot of friends and was the backbone of our family," said James-Hardeman's husband, Travis Hardeman, an electronics technician. The two lived together in Phoenix with their six children at the time of James-Hardeman's death.
James-Hardeman, 26, was studying administration of justice, working two part-time jobs and caring for her family, Hardeman said.
She was a senior and close to accomplishing her ultimate dream of becoming a private investigator, he said.
"It was her determination that made me like her," he said. "She was 18 and had two kids. One was a newborn, and she was hustling to finish high school when we met."
James-Hardeman received fatal massive head injuries in an accident while returning from a sociology field trip to Mexico, said Frank Valenzuela, spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
He said James-Hardeman was in the front passenger seat in the 1997 Oldsmobile sedan driven by Jermaine Murphy, 29, an applied sciences sophomore. Everyone in the car was wearing a seat belt.
Valenzuela said the accident occurred when Murphy swerved to avoid a car that was stopped in the road.
The driver of the car, Charles Embree, had a flat tire on his 1972 Plymouth and had pulled over to change it, Valenzuela said.
"The car was at least two feet into the road," Valenzuela said. "He was inside his car at the time of the accident. It's obvious he's not real clear about what happened."
Murphy and sociology senior Latoya Colley were taken by helicopter to Maricopa County Medical Center, Valenzuela said.
Murphy was admitted for observation and released. Colley was treated for arm, hand and ankle injuries, Valenzuela said.
Kristin Koptiuch, an associate professor of anthropology who was also in the car, was taken by helicopter to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, admitted and released the following morning, Valenzuela said.
The accident report has been submitted to the Pinal County Attorney's Office for review of possible charges, he added.
David Choate, the site supervisor of ASU West chapter of the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring program, worked with James-Hardeman and said she will be sorely missed.
"She was a dynamic person. No one has the type of energy she had," he said. "She worked very hard. She always found time to work on this project and was a good student."
Gaylene Armstrong, associate professor at ASU West has had James-Hardeman in several of her classes and said the loss of James-Hardeman has been felt all over campus.
"How could I describe the way I feel? I don't have the words. I was deeply saddened," she said.
Armstrong is working with the victim's father, Virtious James Jr., to create a scholarship for students who want an education despite obstacles.
"I saw her struggle daily to finish what she started. She was determined at any cost to get that degree, even through five pregnancies, no vehicle and two jobs," James said. "I would like to see some students with the same character and make it easier for them."
Donations for James-Hardeman's children can be made at Wells Fargo to the Shequilla James-Hardeman account.
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Reach the reporter at nicole.girard@asu.edu.
