This past weekend, two Fisk University alumni died in a tragic DUI crash in Nashville, Tennessee. Natalie White, 24, and Holly Wagner, 25, were hit and killed at an intersection when a Jeep ran a red light while under the influence of alcohol.
The two women met during their time at Fisk and graduated together in 2021. Natalie White’s mother, Christal, said the two were best friends and roommates. Saying the day, they were killed was the day they moved into their apartment together. White was sadly killed on her father’s birthday; she had spoken to him just a few hours before she passed. The families of both victims are extremely devastated.
“She was a ray of sunshine. She was the life of our house. Always smiling, always happy, always ready to joke,” said Christal White.
“You knew they were best friends, and once they bonded, they were inseparable,” said Leah Wagner, Holly’s sister. “When Holly kicked in my door you know Natalie was right behind her.”
“I know she’s in heaven. I know it, and I know Natalie is there with her,” Cynthia Wagner said. “She didn’t die alone; they were together, and they’re together in heaven, I know it.”
Fisk is not the only HBCU that has experienced a tragic loss this year. Albany State University volleyball star Mariam Creighton was killed in a shooting back in May at a nightclub in Atlanta. Creighton, along with Nakyris M. Ridley, were among the fatal victims, while four others sustained injuries. Late last month, Alabama State University student Tiana Dye died in a fatal stabbing not far from the university. On August 1, North Carolina Central University student Terrance Howard passed away after being struck by a vehicle following a minor car accident.
Fisk University held a vigil for White and Wagner last week. Twenty-two-year-old Giovvanni Bolstad faces multiple charges, including vehicular homicide by intoxication and vehicular assault. According to the police, Bolstad was not only driving while intoxicated, but he was also driving on a revoked license from a previous DUI conviction. Natalie White would have turned 25 later this week.
