Family and friends are mourning the loss of Polly Rogers, a 20-year-old UNC Charlotte student, who was killed Tuesday night after boarding a party bus with friends on their way to a bar in Uptown.
The bus was driving near the intersection of North Tryon Street and Sugar Creek Road around 10:30 p.m. when Rogers fell out of an emergency window, which the bus company says was opened by passengers. Rogers fell into the street and was struck by two vehicles, police say.
Rogers was studying special education at UNC Charlotte, where she was also a member of the Eta Tau chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha women’s fraternity. She had grown up in Charlotte and had been a longtime member of St. John’s Episcopal Church on Carmel Road.
A GoFundMe page set up by Rogers’ fraternity raised more than $13,513 for the family. More than 490 people had made donations, many leaving remembrances and condolences.
Vic Rabb, owner of Charlotte Party Charters, said he was temporarily suspending his company’s operations in light of the incident, describing his staff as “shaken.” He said in the 13 years his company had been in business, he had never had an incident like this.
“I don’t know what could have been done differently,” he said. “It’s something that’s never happened before.”
Rogers is survived by her two brothers, Patrick and William; her father and mother, Tim and Lucy; and her extended family and friends.
Stay informed: Sign up for The Frequency newsletter and get WFAE headlines in your inbox every weekday.
