Ardie’s 21st birthday was just 12 days away.

Andrew “Ardie” Albright, sophomore in agricultural studies, was returning to Ames from a Des Moines Area Community College class in Boone when he crossed the path of another car at the intersection of U.S. Highway 30 and S. Lynn Street shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Albright was pronounces dead when emergency medical technicians arrived at the scene.

The three other passengers in the car, Justin Sovereign and Thomas Schroeder, both sophomores in agricultural business, and Douglas Puffett, sophomore in agricultural studies, were injured. Sovereign was taken to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines and Puffett and Schroeder are in fair condition at the Boone County Hospital. All were members of Alpha Gamma Rho Albright’s family received the news Tuesday night.

“I answered the doorbell to a sheriff, deputy sheriff and a preacher,” said Alan Albright, Andrew’s father.

“I thought one of my sons was in trouble for something,” he said. “I didn’t think anything about one of them being dead.”

Andrew’s older brother, Ben, a 2004 ISU graduate and former Government of the Student Body vice president, was watching the news in the basement when he heard the doorbell ring.

“Initially, I was in shock. The fact that I’m never going to see my brother again is difficult to swallow,” he said.

Andrew’s older brother, Nick, a 2005 ISU graduate and member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, received the news shortly after his parents did.

“I couldn’t believe it was real,” he said. “I still don’t.”

Nick said his best memories of his brother were of the two just hanging out.

“Everyone loved him,” he said. “He was the life of the party.”

Andrew was a third-generation member of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, following his father, grandfather and two brothers, Ben and Nick.

His fraternity brothers remember him as a “human quote board.”

“Whenever we were at a meeting and it got quiet, we could look at Ardie and say, ‘Say something funny,’ and he always would,” said Luke Lichty, sophomore in agricultural engineering.

Albright, from Lytton, was actively involved on campus. He was a member of his fraternity’s executive board, the ISU Ambassadors, the Cy Squad homecoming committee and Agriculture Future of America, a Kansas City-based organization that helps prepare students for careers in agriculture.

Andrew was also a fan of sports, especially the Cyclones. He attended last week’s football game against the University of Iowa.

“He practically shoved all of us out of his way when we rushed the field,” laughed Lichty.

Their freshman year, Cody Bailey, junior in agricultural studies, had fond memories of classes with Andrew.

“We took shifts sleeping and taking notes. I would sleep for fifteen minutes while he took notes, then we’d switch,” laughed Bailey, adding they would “tag-team” tests as well..

Andrew made the Dean’s List for the first time last semester.

“He had this huge grin on his face and said it was probably the only time this would ever happen,” said Mike Borcherding, junior in finance.

Andrew’s visitation is from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Farber & Otteman in Sac City. The funeral is 11 a.m. Saturday at Emanuel-St. John Lutheran Church in Lytton.

“We should be planning a birthday, not a funeral,” Ben Albright said. “If there’s one thing we can take comfort in, it’s that he lived a good life and we know where he’s going.”

The accident remains under investigation.