St. Mary’s grad victim in rollover

LYNN – A young Lynn woman, a 2007 graduate of St. Mary’s High School, died as a result of injuries suffered in a single car accident Sunday near Curwin Circle.Kate M. Gallagher, 19, was the operator of the 2002 Mercury Cougar that reportedly spun out of control and rolled over several times before coming to a rest near 2 Curwin Circle.The passenger, Ryan Dever, 21, of Saugus was not seriously injured in the accident.According to Lynn Police, the vehicle was reportedly traveling north on Holyoke Street, when it swerved off of the roadway and rolled over several times around 7:45 p.m.Both Gallagher and Dever were transported to Union Hospital where she was pronounced dead.With a bouquet of yellow daisies in her hand, Holyoke Street resident Emily Mordaunt, her daughter Jeannette, son Craig, and friend Tyler Rabideau paused for a minute to remember Gallagher, a third-generation graduate at St. Mary’s who was voted Most Changed Since Freshman Year, at the scene of the accident.Having rushed over to see if she could help at the time of the crash, Mordaunt said she quickly learned there wasn’t much she could do.”When I ran up to the vehicle, I could see that she was still alive and he (Dever) was cradling her in his arms, talking to her and caressing her hair,” she said. “A med-flight helicopter was called, but she was gone a few minutes later. For such a young girl to die, it was just horrible.”Mordaunt said within minutes, a large group of onlookers had gathered around the vehicle, hopelessly searching for answers to what had happened.”It was really sad, but I think she was unconscious, so I hope her parents at least know that it didn’t appear she was suffering,” she said.Curwin Circle resident Stacy Gikas said she saw the vehicle violently bounce off a few trees down before it flipped over onto the sidewalk – the exact same spot where young children had just been playing.”It was really scary,” she said. “I could see that she wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and her car was the only one involved?it looked like she was in pretty bad shape because she was slumped over his lap.”Lynn Police spokesman Lt. Ted Blake said the department is currently waiting to hear the results of a toxicology test.Rainy weather may have also played a factor in the accident.Gallagher leaves behind one brother, Patrick, and her parents Joseph and Pamela.An employee of Kelly’s Roast Beef on Route 1, Gallagher enjoyed playing softball, piano, and listening to music.Calling hours will be held Wednesday from 4-8 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church and her funeral is scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m., also at the Church. She will be interred at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Lynn.Gifts in her memory may be made to Hospice of the North Shore at 10 Elm St., Danvers, MA, 01923.