Emily Salisbury was an excellent student, active in her church, and "just a very sweet girl," her former pastor, Frank Mansell, remembered Wednesday.

Salisbury, 22, of Charleston was killed Tuesday when her car was hit by a passing ambulance in Charleston, S.C.

Law enforcement officials said the accident happened in downtown Charleston, where Salisbury was a senior at the College of Charleston.

An ambulance headed to a medical call attempted to pass a line of stopped traffic just as Salisbury turned left into its path, said Charleston County Sheriff's Maj. John Clark.

Both vehicles were headed in the same direction, and the ambulance hit the driver's side door of her car, he said.

Salisbury was the only person in the car. The two EMS workers in the ambulance were not hurt, Clark said. The ambulance was not carrying a patient at the time.

Salisbury is the daughter of Howard and Patti Salisbury, and the granddaughter of George and Helen Singleton, all of Charleston. Her younger brother, David, attends West Virginia University.

Mansell, who retired in 2006 from Village Chapel Presbyterian Church in Kanawha City, knew Salisbury all her life.

Emily Salisbury was an excellent student, active in her church, and "just a very sweet girl," her former pastor, Frank Mansell, remembered Wednesday.

Salisbury, 22, of Charleston was killed Tuesday when her car was hit by a passing ambulance in Charleston, S.C.

Law enforcement officials said the accident happened in downtown Charleston, where Salisbury was a senior at the College of Charleston.

An ambulance headed to a medical call attempted to pass a line of stopped traffic just as Salisbury turned left into its path, said Charleston County Sheriff's Maj. John Clark.

Both vehicles were headed in the same direction, and the ambulance hit the driver's side door of her car, he said.

Salisbury was the only person in the car. The two EMS workers in the ambulance were not hurt, Clark said. The ambulance was not carrying a patient at the time.

Salisbury is the daughter of Howard and Patti Salisbury, and the granddaughter of George and Helen Singleton, all of Charleston. Her younger brother, David, attends West Virginia University.

Mansell, who retired in 2006 from Village Chapel Presbyterian Church in Kanawha City, knew Salisbury all her life.

"I was there when she was born," he said. "She was a very good musician, vocalist - very much involved in the church - as the whole family are."

He remembered Salisbury always willing to help with the church's mission trips, including flood cleanup work in Raleigh and Fayette counties in the early 2000s.

"She was a good student, too, and has been all through college," Mansell said.

Salisbury was a Principal's List student at Capital High, according to Gazette archives.

She often attended the Reflections church service at John Wesley United Methodist Church with friends in Charleston, S.C., The Post and Courier of Charleston reported Wednesday.

She was a biology major and English minor, the newspaper reported. Salisbury also played clarinet in the college's concert band and saxophone in the pep band.

She was planning to move home to Charleston after graduation in May, her roommate told the newspaper.

To contact staff writer Tara Tuckwiller, use e-mail or call 348-5189.