Accident takes life of student who once protested Bush by simulating death by an imaginary bombs

Columbia, Missouri Daily Tribune ^ | staff

[rface]

Columbia, MISSOURI:

Melissa Howland believed in life so much so that she imitated death during a spring protest to warn of war’s deadly effects.

Joined by other local opponents of the Iraq war, she dropped to the ground that day in March to simulate victims of bombing. Around her neck hung a sign that read "PEACE."

A head-on accident at 4:40 p.m. yesterday ended the life of Howland, a 2003 graduate of Hickman High and a freshman at Stephens College.

She was 18.

The state highway patrol said Howland was driving west into Columbia on Route WW when her Ford Ranger pickup crossed the centerline and struck a Chevy ¾-ton pickup heading east.

The driver of the other pickup, 27-year-old Stephen Cornelison of Columbia, was listed in good condition this morning at University Hospital. A trooper estimated that both pickups were driving 45 mph.

Howland was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. She was the 994th person to die on Missouri roads this year.

In June, Howland graduated from Hickman High School.

She began taking English courses in August at Stephens College, where she received a presidential scholarship for academic achievement and a leadership award for extracurricular activities and community service.

Howland was the daughter of Jane and John Howland of Columbia.

[rface]

Of course I mourn for the family and for all those affected by this accident. I didn't post this to make fun of Melissa Howland - because the story about her accident is tragic.

I was reminded of the Imaginary Bombs from earlier this year - and that story WAS FUNNY......CLICK THE PICTURE

[Nonstatist]

Howland was driving west into Columbia on Route WW when her Ford Ranger pickup crossed the centerline and struck a Chevy ¾-ton pickup heading east.

Drunk? Or just careless?

[dasboot]

She was the 994th person to die on Missouri roads this year

And the (insert # here) to die since George Bush declared the end of hostilities .........

[Paradox]

Thats just plain sad, regardless of her politicas (I too was an idiot leftist at that age).

[boomop1]

Poor child never did not suffer, like she would have with 4 years of liberal indoctrination. May she rest in peace.

[Ribeye]

If she was drunk it'll never be in the papers.

[anniegetyourgun]

A presidential scholar, no less. We had one of those in my graduating HS class. He went off to MIT and flunked out his first year.

[js1138]

I suppose thinking of "Like a Rock" would be in bad taste.

[frithguild]

The driver of the other pickup, 27-year-old Stephen Cornelison of Columbia, was listed in good condition this morning at University Hospital.

Bet she wasn't belted.

[js1138]

I can't say that I was ever a full blodded leftist, but all my friends were.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

Drunk? Or just careless?

Just unskilled most likely. Boortz talks about this kind of thing quite often. They start to run off the side of the road and over-correct because they don't have the experience to know not to crank the wheel and lose control careening to the other side of the road or into a tree.

Very sad, but I wonder why it is important that she was a protestor?

[boomop1]

I had a friend who reached down to get something he dropped and swerved head on into a tanker truck he and his passenger were killed instantly, no booze, drugs just a splt second and gone. The truck driver hit the horn and they looked up but too late to react, those things happen in a blink of the eye.

[Qwinn]

"Melissa Howland believed in life so much so that she imitated death utterly ignored 5,000 starving Iraqi children per month during a spring protest to warn of ignore war’s deadly effects capacity to end niggling little social problems like fascism, communism, nazism and slavery."

[Sunshine Sister]

I'll bet she fell asleep. I'm sorry for her family. What a tragedy.

[alnick]

Very sad, but I wonder why it is important that she was a protestor?

Doncha see? It's Bush's fault.

[11Bush]

1/4 ton (2000lbs gvw) vs. 3/4 ton (5000lbs+ gvw). Laws of physics played a part also.

[Billthedrill]

Beat me to it. The number of one-car accidents where alcohol is NOT involved is staggering, and when the autopsy shows no sign of anything, it's a fair bet that the driver simply fell asleep. It's almost happened to me on several occasions. Driving alone, you sometimes don't even notice it happening.

[Paleo Conservative]

Darwin Award!

[Sunshine Sister]

I fell asleep once while I was driving. I drifted into the other lane and woke up. It scared the hell out of me.

[KC_Conspirator]

Pieces of filth, stinking up my home state.