Rutherford County community mourns 14-year-old who died in accident

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WSMV) – A car accident Tuesday morning left a 14-year-old Blackman High School student dead and two other students injured.

Rutherford County School District leaders said the students were on their way back to school after leaving a volleyball tournament when the accident occurred.

Police said competition, celebration and school pride were on display for a group of Blackman High School students Tuesday morning until the volleyball games ended.

Neighbors in Murfreesboro said news of an accident involving teenagers spread quickly.

“I heard there was an incident over on Veterans Parkway, there was an SUV and a car with some kids in it,” Brian Johnson said.

Johnson lives right in front of the school. He said he was at home that morning when police reported that a 47-year-old driving an SUV was attempting to turn left onto Veterans Parkway when he collided with a car full of Blackman High School students.

According to Murfreesboro police, a 14-year-old student died in the front seat of the car when paramedics arrived. The 16-year-old driver and another 14-year-old in the back seat were taken to the hospital.

Officials said the students were returning to BHS after watching their classmates play at Rockvale High School. They were less than two miles away when they crashed.

Another woman, who also lives across the street from BHS, said her heart was broken when she heard about the accident.

“My children graduated from Blackman. When I imagine this, I have compassion for the family,” said Lamonica Barnett.

Rutherford County Schools released a statement saying it would not release the names of the affected students out of respect for the families.

Barnett said she was still shaken almost a day after the accident.

“It was absolutely tragic for me as a parent. The worst thing you want to hear is that your child was in an accident, and then to lose another child in an accident, that's unthinkable,” Barnett said.

Investigators believe that speeding may have contributed to the accident.

While the area prays for the affected families, officials say the 47-year-old and the two other students who were taken to the hospital are expected to recover.

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