By Jim Devine
Staff Writer

Brittany Vogler

Salem High students and faculty are remembering a student who died in a car accident the day after Christmas.

Brittany Vogler, 16, was riding in a car going southbound on East Broadway in Salem on Monday evening, Dec. 26, with two friends when the car crashed, killing her, according to police reports.

Vogler was a color guard and winter guard member in her junior year at Salem High School. Friends and other members of the color guard who knew her well met with counselors at Salem High on Tuesday evening, Dec. 27, to help them cope with the loss of their friend.

Vogler was a three-year member of the close-knit group of students who perform at marching band events.

“Tonight, that needs to be just the kids,” band director Marty Claussen said. “The school’s going to take it pretty hard.”

The crash that took Vogler’s life occurred when the driver of the car, Justin Brouillette, 16, of Salem, drove the car off the roadway and into a utility pole.

He and the front-seat passenger, Jamie Macdonald, were injured and transported to Parkland Medical Center in Derry for treatment.

The Salem police traffic accident reconstruction team is currently conducting an investigation of the crash. At this time, alcohol is not considered a contributing factor in the accident.

Claussen, who knew Vogler since she was a young spectator watching her older sister Tiffany as a captain performing at color guard events, said she had natural talent at what she did in the guard and that she was always smiling with a friendly personality towards teachers and friends.

“Brittany would come to practices and competitions and all that kind of stuff and she’d always tell me she was going to be in the color guard when she got older,” Claussen said. “So she’s been a member of the guard for a long, long time. It was in her blood ... When you see natural talent, Brittany was the same way. When she walked in the door, you could tell she had talent.”

Vogler’s close friend, Amy Oliverio, a senior member of the color guard, said Vogler was a friend to everyone in the colorguard and that she held all her friends in the highest regard.

“She was such a caring person. All 20 of the guard members are best friends and she was close to all of us,” Oliverio said.

To both Claussen and Oliverio it was Vogler’s cheery personality and smile that stood out from everyone in the guard.

“I don’t remember ever seeing her not smiling,” Claussen said. “She just – she was just one of those student’s who no matter what was going on in her life ... She never let that come into play when she was dealing with other people.”

Oliverio often shared a hotel room with Vogler during color guard trips. She recalled that at the championships in Dayton, Ohio, last year, the two were so excited for the event they got dressed in their uniforms, did their hair and make up together and finally fell asleep while leaning against the door of the room while holding hands. They only slept for about an hour before their wake-up call.

She was also part of a trio in the color guard that was known as “The Crossroads.” During warm-ups before each rehearsal, Vogler would always work with the same two friends.

Oliverio said Vogler was a huge fan of Spider-Man, with an inflatable figure, shoelaces and shirts of the Marvel Comics superhero. She was also a hard worker in the guard who was known to come to practices early and stay late.

“Everyone looked up to her,” she said.

Claussen admired Vogler’s work ethic and true commitments she made to practicing with the guard for the three years she was a part of it.

“The time demands are really quite incredible on the ladies and gentlemen, and we never heard her complain,” he said. “She was always smiling, always had sweet things to say,” Oliverio said.

“Those are our memories of her,” Claussen said. “She laughed a lot and was always there for her friends and that was the most important thing. When your life is over, no matter how long or short it is, it’s how your friends remember you and how you treated people that counts.”

— Bruce Preston contributed to this story.