Palmetto student who died after crash remembered as ‘free spirit’

In an instant, a teenage girl’s life was altered. Three weeks later, her family is saying their goodbyes and a coach is fondly remembering a member of his team.

Holli Stanek was involved in a crash the morning of Oct. 24 and was taken to Blake Medical Center as a trauma alert due to her injuries, described in the Palmetto police report on the crash as “incapacitating.”

Holli, a lifelong Palmetto resident and a senior at Palmetto High School, died Saturday, according to her obituary. She was 17.

Her Palmetto High School weightlifting coach, Chris Atkinson, said Holli was always “upbeat and smiling.”

“She always was like a free spirit, easy-going just lovable kid and liked to work out. That was one of her things,” Atkinson said.

He remembered Holli was excited for her senior year of weightlifting, and brought her sister, Hope, who was a freshman at the school, to join the team. They were workout partners, Atkinson said.

Hope gave Atkinson daily updates on her sister, and in the weeks after the crash, said her sister was “hanging in there,” Atkinson said.

The team had just started practicing when the crash happened.

“Her sister, Hope, she’d been coming to practice up to this week and we’ve been checking on her and asking how she’s doing,” Atkinson said.

Holli started weightlifting, Atkinson said, to help prepare for the Army National Guard, which she had enlisted in.

“She was excited about being in the National Guard,” Atkinson said. “She was getting into shape for the physical.”

Holli is remembered in her obituary as someone who was outgoing, always smiling and beautiful inside and out.

Comments flood a GoFundMe page set up to raise funds for her medical expenses of those offering condolences to the family after news of her death.

“We send all our love to you with deepest condolences. Holli was the sweetest girl and will be missed forever,” one comment said.

A member of the National Honor Society, Holli was also taking classes at the State College of Florida and planned to pursue a degree in computer science, her obituary read.

According to the Palmetto police crash report, Holli was driving a Hyundai Elantra east on 23rd Street West and began to turn left onto U.S. 41 in Palmetto. However, she failed to yield to a Dodge truck that was traveling south on U.S. 41, and it struck her vehicle.

The force of the crash sent her car into the ditch. The driver of the truck, a 51-year-old Apollo Beach man, was taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital to be treated for his injuries, according to the police report.

Nearly every bone on the left side of Holli’s body was broken, according to the GoFundMe page. She was in an induced coma and had emergency surgery.

As of Wednesday evening, the GoFundMe page had raised more than $8,600 in 21 days toward a goal of $10,000.

Holli Stanek is survived by her parents, two sisters, a nephew, grandparents and several other family members, according to her obituary.

Visitation and services were held Wednesday at Brown & Sons Funeral Homes and Crematory, 26th Street Chapel, Bradenton, according to her obituary.

Atkinson said the weightlifting team attended in a show of support for their teammate. They hope to find a way to continue to show their support for Holli and her family throughout the season.

This story was originally published November 15, 2017 at 3:02 PM with the headline "Palmetto student who died after crash remembered as ‘free spirit’."