High schooler with ‘kind spirit’ dies in crash before school, Georgia district says
A 17-year-old was killed in a crash Nov. 4 as she was driving to school, according to her Georgia school district.
Breanna Dice, the East Laurens High School senior who died in the crash, had a “kind spirit (that) touched the hearts of everyone she knew,” the Laurens County School District said in a statement.
She was driving around 8 a.m. Nov. 4 when she failed to yield at a stop sign, according to WMAZ. As she proceeded through the intersection, her Pontiac G6 was struck when it entered entered the path of a Honda Accord, WGXA reported.
Dice’s Pontiac was hit head-on, and she was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the crash report obtained by WGXA. A 17-year-old boy driving the Accord was airlifted to a Macon hospital, and a 15-year-old in Dice’s vehicle was also taken to a hospital, WMAZ reported.
Both of the injured teens are also students at the high school, the district said.
Breanna had been a member of the school district’s band team since she was in sixth grade and was the clarinet section leader as a senior, according to the school district.
“Everyone knows the family bond they shared was truly unbreakable…even in her death,” the district said. “May the life she lived continue to be that beacon of light and hope for her many loved ones left behind.”
Lee Collins, the principal at the high school, said “the hardest day” he has as a principal is when a student dies.
“Our students define us, they dictate the decisions we make at work and at home, and they are the reason we get up everyday,” Collins said. “When we wake up we think about them collectively and individually before we even take our first step. When we lose one, we obsess over the unrealized potential and struggle to come to terms with a finality we do not want to accept. This is so true with Breanna, especially with Breanna. Breanna was able to quietly carve a space for her friends where they could belong and feel accepted.” The school district also shared photos of Breanna, many of which showcased her pink hair. Students were encouraged to wear pink for Breanna.
Bin Turner, the high school’s head football coach, said Nov. 5 his team will wear stickers on their helmets to honor Breanna.
The high school is in East Dublin, about 55 miles southeast of Macon.
This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 8:01 AM with the headline "High schooler with ‘kind spirit’ dies in crash before school, Georgia district says."