The limb of a pine tree fell onto her car while she was driving through a wind storm that produced 50 mph gusts in Maine on Monday. Hager, 31, was set to get married to Brittany Lynn Ritchie in October.
TikTok star Rochelle Hager was killed in a freak accident while on the phone with her fiancee when a tree fell onto her car while driving through a wind storm that produced 50 mph gusts in Maine on Monday. Hager, 31, was set to get married to Brittany Lynn Ritchie, the love of her life in October. Her sudden death has devastated her fiancee and hordes of fans and followers who adored the executive chef.
Ritchie, 28, told the Morning Sentinel that “it happened really quick. She has a phone mounted in her vent. I just heard a crash and then there was nothing. She didn’t see the tree coming. It was instant.”
Farmington police said the crash occurred just before 10 a.m. on Monday. Hager was driving south on Knowlton Corner Road in Farmington when the limb of a pine tree struck the roof of her 2015 Nissan Rouge, killing her instantly. She was the sole occupant and no other vehicles were involved, police said.
After the impact, the car appeared to have crossed the centerline and come to a stop in the northbound lane, said Farmington police chief Kenneth Charles, who called the accident “tragic and unique,” the Associated Press reported.
The couple had met in June through a mutual friend and fell instantly in love. They were in the process of planning a wedding that was set for Oct. 16. Ritchie told the news outlet they had already booked the venue and photographer. They had been also discussing having children together. Ritchie, who has two children from a previous relationship, said that she and Hager had talked about having a family of their own and even picked out a girl’s name the night before she died.
Together, Hager and her fiancée amassed over 400,000 TikTok followers, posting videos that have attracted over 5 million likes. Hager went by the social media user name @roeurboat3, according to multiple reports.
“We had a following on TikTok, She was all about positivity and making people laugh,” Ritchie told Vanity Fair. “She was that kind of person. She was my son’s best friend.”
The couple had just moved to Maine in August.
Affectionately known as “Roe” by friends, Hager was a huge advocate for addiction. She had been sober for more than ten years.
She had been working as an executive chef at The Woodlands in Waterville for only a few months.
The Woodlands' director of operations, Benjamin Smith, told Vanity Fair that Hager had and “infectious personality and ability to light up every room.”
“She made such a huge impact on the lives of the residents she served,” Smith said. “When you find someone like that, an employee that has that type of personality or aura, it makes a huge difference in the lives of the seniors we serve.”
On TikTok, Ritchie wrote a somber tribute and thanked followers for “keeping [Hager’s] memory alive and reaching out.”
A memorial for Hager is being planned in Pittsburgh, where her parents live, and Florida, where she has more friends and relatives, according to a report.
RELATED STORIES
