Sarah Stone was an academic standout in Palm City, Florida. She completed middle school with all A’s. She was the captain of the school dance team and a member of the student council. She had been selected to become the captain of a junior varsity cheerleader for her first year of high school.

Sarah had a special love for animals and people and found joy in volunteering at the Humane Society. She loved to help place pets in the homes of caring families. She was also an active member in a youth group at a local church and devoted to mission work.

A youth education program at the local Humane Society was created and named after Sarah to honor her volunteerism. Additionally, a scholarship was established by friends of the Stone family for underprivileged children in Salem, Oregon to attend the local Humane Society’s summer camp.

Sarah was openly against the use of drugs and alcohol. Just months before she died in an automobile crash she wrote a paper underscoring the reasons why graduated license programs are so important.

Sarah died tragically when the car in which she was riding was struck by another car driven by a 16 year-old who was speeding and under the influence of alcohol.

The speed of the car driven by the 16 year-old was estimated to have been more than three times the posted speed limit.

Alexandra Wetherbee-Quaroni, 13, was also killed in the crash.

The teen driver who caused the crash was sentenced to 9 years in prison for vehicular homicide. His sentence was subsequently reduced to 7 years.