Condolences: Heather Jennings

• MARC Radio Country WPLL (I Am Country 106.9)/Gainesville, FL is mourning the untimely death of morning host Heather Jennings, who was tragically killed early Tuesday morning in a head-on collision. She was 57 years old.

The Main Street Daily News, quoting the accident report by the Florida Highway Patrol, notes that a 30-year-old Gainesville woman was driving southbound on State Road 121 (Williston Road) when her vehicle crossed the center line and struck Jennings’ car, which was traveling north. Both drivers were transported to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, where they were pronounced dead. Jennings was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident, and the other driver was not, according to FHP

Management posted a lengthy tribute to Jennings, who had just joined the station in early November. The message reads, in part, “We are having a hard time realizing that the halls of our radio station will no longer reverberate with Heather’s voice singing along, word-for-word, with every song we air. She sang with enthusiasm, and yes, always on key.

Now we’re struggling to find the words to write about this friend we cherished. Not very many people can make the kind of impression that Heather Jennings did in just one short month. But as a professional broadcaster, she quickly made her mark. We join her family, her friends and her listeners all over Gainesville in the incomprehensible loss of her young life and her distinctive on-air presence.

In closing, the statement reads, “There was a void on our airwaves this morning. And it will be there again tomorrow and forever after. But we are a company built on faith. Today the airwaves of heaven got even sweeter. We’ll miss you, Heather.”

Jennings leaves behind two daughters, Dixie and Jacy.