Emma Thomson, a former aide to Rep. John Joyce (R-Blair), was killed along with Indiana congresswoman Jackie Walorski and district director Zachary Potts in a two-car crash Wednesday.

The trio was involved in a two-vehicle accident in Elkhart (Ind.) County, according to the sheriff’s office. The driver of a northbound vehicle traveled left of the centerline and collided head-on with the sport-utility vehicle carrying Walorski, Potts, Thomson. All three occupants in the southbound vehicle died as a result of their injuries. Edith Schmucker, 56, was the sole occupant of the other vehicle involved in the crash. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Thomson, 28, had served as communications director for Walorski, 58, since July 2021. She was Joyce’s campaign manager for his successful 2020 reelection after serving nearly two years as his comms director.

“Emma’s work ethic was unparalleled,” said Joyce in a statement released on social media. “In addition to leading my first re-election campaign, Emma was the voice of our team – connecting with, and reassuring, our constituents throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A proud alumna of Bishop McCort High School, Emma loved her hometown of Johnstown and the communities where she grew up in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. Simply put, there was no greater champion for johnstown and Cambria County in Washington DC than Emma Thomson.”

She graduated from George Washington University with a degree in political communication.

Our condolences go out to her parents, David and Linda, and her sister, Molly, along with her other family and friends.

May their memories be a blessing.