Video: New Hope Student Tragedy

LOWNDES, Miss.(WCBI)—Four area high school students are recovering in hospitals tonight.

Classmates host a prayer vigil this morning. The four were returning from the Mississippi State football game this past Saturday when an SUV went off the road and flipped several times.

All of the teens were thrown from the vehicle. Some were even air lifted from the scene. State troopers are still investigating that crash.

New Hope High School students changed classes after the bell, just as they normally would, on Monday.

However, a sense of sadness lingers in the hallways after three of their classmates were injured in a serious accident on this past weekend.

“During our homeroom time we have introduced a video on how to deal with trauma and had classroom discussion to help facilitate how the kids are feeling and how they can respond to that and just how to cope with what they are going through right now. We have had local ministers on campus floating around just to be available for extra support and help,” says New Hope Assistant Principal Holli McBrayer.”

New Hope Junior Megan James saw her friends just a few hours before the accident. Now, she has a new perspective on life.

“I was Kinda like devastated by it cause they are so close to all of us and we were just all at the state game with them hanging out with them .Laughing and cutting up and taking our time with them for granted. Now that this has happened it really helps you realize just how short life is,”says New Hope Junior Megan James.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is hosting a series of prayer vigils. Some of those same classmates know how it feels to recover from a devastating accident.

“This past summer I had a car wreck when school got out and I knew how much it meant to me that people were there for me and I mean people that I didn’t even know were like sending prayer requests and stuff on my behalf and it really meant a lot to me,”said FCA member Tristan Boyette.

“I think they all know how much new hope loves them and all the community coming together to support them and hoping they get better,” said James.

” They’ll be really excited to know that we’ve done this much for them and I know that they know we all love them,” said New Hope Senior Kelsie Gerhart.

” It’s very important that they know that new hope high school and their students have their backs,” said Boyette.

Lowndes County Schools Superintendent Lynn Wright wants students to know educators are there for them, and hopefully learn something valuable about how fragile life can be.

” Take care of our selves, pay attention when we’re driving. I don’t know what caused the accident but I try to remind myself to pay attention to the road not just for my sake but for others it’s just a terrible situation,”said Lowndes County Superintendent Lynn Wright.
There was a prayer vigil here this morning.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes  along with other student bases organization plan on hosting more. Another is scheduled on campus in the morning at 7, before school begins.