Rochelle Hager, a chef and rising TikTok star, has died. Hager was 31 years old. Hager passed away in a tragic and freak accident during a windstorm. Hager was driving when a tree branch fell on her car in Farmington, Maine. Hager had been sober for ten years and was a survivor of addiction.

Rochelle Hager was driving in her hometown of Farmington when a storm kicked up, with winds topping 50 miles per hour. The wind caused a tree limb to fall on her car and killed her instantly, according to local authorities. Hager was the only one in the vehicle and no other cars were involved. Brittanie Lynn Ritchie, Hager's fiance, had this to say.

"It happened really quick. She has a phone mounted in her vent. I just heard a crash and then there was nothing. We were getting married Oct. 16, we had already gotten the venue and photographer and everything.

Farmington Police Chief Kenneth Charles called the situation "tragic and unique." Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety, reportedly checked with the director of the Bureau of Highway Safety, Lauren Stewart. "They do not have any information about this type of thing happening before," Moss said.

Rochelle Hager had been a rising star on TikTok. Posting under the name roeurboat3, she had amassed more than 166 thousand followers. She would often appear in videos with her fiance. Her more recent videos had regularly received hundreds of thousands of views. Hager was also an executive chef who was loved within her community. Ritchie also spoke fondly of Hager's positive nature.

"We had a following on TikTok, and she was all about positivity and making people laugh. She was that kind of person. She was my son's best friend."

Ritchie later shared a message on TikTok. In the video, she expressed her gratitude for those who reached out and for those who have supported her in the aftermath of Hager's passing. She also relayed the details of the incident, saying, "She wasn't in pain" and that "she died instantly." She concluded by saying, "Thank you again for all of your support. I'm sorry I can't respond to every one of you, but I appreciate you."

Rochelle Hager served as executive chef at The Woodlands in Waterville. Before that, she was a chef at Amici's Cucina. Benjamin Smith, The Woodlands' director of operations spoke fondly of Hager saying, "She did make such a huge impact on the lives of the residents she served," even though she had only worked there for around 60 days before her passing. Mary Carpinito, owner of Amici's Cucina, said "She was very nice, had a positive attitude, big smile always on her face. When I heard who it was, my heart just stopped. You just never know. She was such a sweet, sweet person." This news comes to us via The Morning Centinal.