Community mourns loss of Edmond North H.S. senior Maddie Hayes

The Edmond community is grieving the loss of Edmond North High School senior Maddie Hayes, who passed away Monday night in a four-wheeler accident. 

17-year-old Maddie Hayes was the kind of girl who asked to be baptized for her birthday. She often volunteered to take her younger sister to volleyball practice – something the two had in common, her family told News 9. 

Her friends called her a guardian angel, which her family said aligns with her character. 

“She’s just amazing,” said Maddie’s mom, Brittany Hayes. 

At her kindergarten graduation, Maddie said she wanted to be a horseback rider when she grew up. Fast forward to 2025 – Maddie's dreams evolved. She was a high school senior who wanted to study sports psychology, as mental health mattered to her. 

“She was admitted to OU on scholarship and we were so excited for her, but of course we were really sad at the thought of her not being home every day,” her mom said. 

Her family did not anticipate the call they received Monday night. 

“There was an EMT on the phone and they told us that she was in an accident,” Brittany recalled. 

Maddie left behind her family, friends and teammates. In addition to playing on the ENHS girls’ volleyball team for all four years of her high school career, Maddie played in a recreational league, although she dealt with multiple injuries in her final year. 

“Her coach brought this notebook that her teammates put together of all these stories from Maddie over the years,” her mother said while holding up the book. “That’s just like a common thing that she was the mother of the group – making sure everybody’s taken care of.” 

Maddie’s coach let her serve the ball on senior night even though she was injured. Her team scored. 

“She would make everything so funny. She was the funniest person ever,” said Maddie’s sister Morgan. 

Her dad, Josh Hayes, tearfully read from the book, “She could make anyone laugh with one little comment. There are no words to express the love and joy she brought this world.” 

People in the community have wrapped their arms around the Hayes family, surpassing the GoFundMe goal and allowing Maddie’s family to create a scholarship in her honor. 

“I think we’re going to do $2,025 dollars for her graduation year. The main requirement is really going to be – we want to give it to a volleyball player. They’re going to attend OU to kind of follow in what Maddie would do and see where it goes from there,” explained Josh. 

To contribute to the scholarship in Maddie’s honor, click the GoFundMe link here. 

The Hayes family invited anyone who wants to celebrate Maddie’s life to her service at Life Church in Edmond on March 26 at 10 a.m.