HUNTSVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — A rural East Tennessee community was grieving Saturday for four high school cheerleaders who died in a fiery car crash hours after they had been cheering on their football team.
The cheerleaders had been supporting their football team hours before the crash.
A sport utility vehicle carrying the cheerleaders collided with an oncoming car late Friday night on a wet, foggy highway in Scott County, northwest of Knoxville, authorities said. A passenger in the car also was killed.
Ashley Mason, 15, had been ejected from the vehicle and taken to University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. She died Saturday night, said Myala Romines, an administrative supervisor.
“It’s more than a shock and we are just horrified,” said Cynthia Reynolds, the cheerleading coach at Scott High School. She said the girls went out after the game to celebrate another cheerleader’s birthday. “They were really, really close.”
Police identified the other three teenagers killed as Scarlette A. Hill, 17; Jaime Hill, 15; and driver Shirley N. Hughett, 16.
A passenger in the car, Jeweline Ledbetter King, 49, was killed. King’s 22-year-old daughter-in-law, Miranda King, was sitting in the back seat and lost her unborn child because of injuries from the crash.
Investigators believe the crash was caused in part by the slick and foggy conditions, and a preliminary report indicated none of the girls in the SUV was wearing a seat belt, said Laura McPherson, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Scott High School Principal Bill Hall said the teens were considered leaders on the squad and were well-liked in the close-knit school of 800 students.
“We’re all devastated,” he said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and the other victims that were involved.”
The car’s driver, Malcum King, 22, and a 10-month-old child, Aiden Wilson, also were injured and taken to a hospital. The conditions of the car’s survivors were not immediately known.
Investigators believe the SUV hydroplaned on a curve on the two-lane highway, flipped on its side and crossed the center lane, slamming into the oncoming Ford Taurus. The SUV erupted into flames.
McPherson said investigators believe passengers were still trapped inside the second vehicle when the SUV caught fire a few feet away. A passing motorist used an all-terrain vehicle to pull the Taurus away from the burning SUV, she said.
Patsy Allen, grandmother of the Hill sisters, said Jaime started cheerleading two years ago. Scarlette, who goes by her middle name Alisha, started cheerleading in 7th grade.
“They were good girls,” Allen said. “Jaime was outgoing. Everyone liked them both. They made average grades. Alisha was looking forward to starting college.”
Reynolds said the 16-member cheerleading team met for dinner at a McDonald’s after the home game ended in a loss to Anderson County 48-19. Reynolds said she heard about the crash after midnight and spent most of that night with the team at the hospital.
School officials discussed offering grief counseling, and a memorial for students and families also was planned. Funeral arrangements were pending.
The crash occurred on U.S. Highway 27 in Scott County, which sits on the Tennessee-Kentucky state line. It shut down the highway for about eight hours.
Those in the other vehicle were from neighboring Fentress County, McPherson said.
Four dead white chicks…probably blonde. Who the fuck cares?
Comment by TZ — October 26, 2008 @ 5:16 pm
My hearts go out to these girls’ families. This is such a devastating loss, for parents to lose their children. May God bless you and keep you during this difficult time.
Comment by TZ — October 26, 2008 @ 5:16 pm
Oh no – this is horrible. I pray for their families!
Comment by TZ — October 26, 2008 @ 5:17 pm
for the poster who likes to see dead white chicks: your true colors are showing. you are quite a citizen. were they all white? to that i say who cares? but check it out. you may be wrong. the other people that died, including an unborn baby, may not have been white. i know, you can select where your feelings lie. good for you. as if we don’t have enough racial tension on both sides in this country. you are a great big help. but then again, you never said you wanted to help.
Comment by mother — October 26, 2008 @ 8:24 pm
Not Wearing Seat belts.
Comment by BeeCause — October 27, 2008 @ 1:54 am
seatbelts are the right thing to do. however, for theses girls, their car was smashed head on, rolled and crushed, and then burst into flames. the only one who survived longer than 1 day was the girl who was thrown from the vehicle. i do not think seatbelts would have saved anyone here. i’m just concerned that the family of the other car that lost a grandmother and an unborn baby might sue theses families. i understand their terrible grief at teenages girls driving a large truck on a bad road, but no alcohol or any other factors BUT a bad road and a hairpin turn were presented. we are a litigation happy society. i am hoping the other families or even the families of the other dead girls do not sue the family of the little girl that was driving.
Comment by mother — October 27, 2008 @ 5:45 pm
None of the occupants were wearing their seatbelts…I wonder why so many people only learn this lesson after their unnecessary death’s.
Comment by DJ — October 28, 2008 @ 1:32 am
“Four dead white chicks…probably blonde. Who the fuck cares?”-Wow. Racism shows it’s head. What about Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom? What if 4 white males and 1 white female raped and tortured a black male and female and killed them? There would be race riots all over the country. Yet when 5 animals rape and torture and mutilate and kill 2 whites, we hear nothing in the national media about it? Why is that? And as for your statement above, that is disgusting.
Comment by Beau — October 28, 2008 @ 12:50 pm
THOSE GIRLS ARE SOMEONES CHILDREN…YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THEM LIKE THAT…YOU MUST NOT HAVE ANY RESPECT FOR ANYONE!!! WHO CARES WHAT THEY WERE WHEN THEY WERE HERE THEY WERE LOVED AND FOR SOMEONE TO SAY THAT ABOUT THEM IS NOT RIGHT…APPARENTLY YOU WERE MISS TREATED WHEN YOU WENT TO SCHOOL AND FOR THAT I FEEL SORRY FOR YOU BUT NO MATTER HOW YOU WERE TREATED IT DOESN’T GIVE YOU A RIGHT TO SAY THAT ABOUT THEM!!! THEY WERE SOME ONES DAUGHTER SISTER AND FRIEND AND THEY DESERVE TO BE REMEMBERED AS SOMETHING GOOD!!!!!!!!!
Comment by 17 — October 28, 2008 @ 2:17 pm
Why has no-one commented about the fact that the driver was a 16 year old girl who was driving late at night and with 3 other teenage girls in the car? I thought there were restrictions/driving rules against this? This was not an accident, but a tragedy just waiting to happen. What were the parents of these girls thinking to allow them to be in a car with a young, inexperienced driver, driving late at night in what looks like a high powered SUV? I despair when I read of these ’so called accidents’. It seems to me that most American children these days seem to think that the car is the next step from their mountain bikes. They have no respect for the car as something that kills if not handled properly … and their parents seem to have the same ideas. None were wearing seat belts either. Stupid, stupid stupid. Instead fo sending in grieving counsellors, they should be sending in police officers to re-iterate the rules for driving.
Comment by jenny — October 30, 2008 @ 4:47 am
The family who lost thier grandmother and unborn baby should sue the family of the driver. If for no other reason than to set an example to the rest of the teenage drivers in that town and the irresponsible parents who give these kids cars to use as they see fit. This kid was not responsible enough to be out driving that late at night, let alone experienced enough. How many more kids have to die because thier parents will not tell them no. Parents should be held accountable for the actions of thier children, no matter what those actions are. The parents of the teenage driver should pay for the devastation caused by this reckless act of stupidty. There are 4 cheerleaders who are dead because of the parents of the driver. There is an unborn baby who is dead because of the parents of the driver. There is a grandmother who is dead because of the parents of the driver. That is six deaths that the parents should be accountable for. Regardless that one of the deaths is thier daughter. The parents allowed her to drive, gave her the car and therefore, should pay for it. Living with the fact that thier daughter died should not be the only penalty for the parents. Maybe if the courts would hold the parents responsible more parents would think twice before allowing thier kids to drive when they should not.
Comment by mary jankins — October 30, 2008 @ 1:44 pm
This is a horrible accident. I pray for the families involved. We do not need all this racial tention involved. Who cares what color they were. They were human beings and someones children. May God be with the all the families.
Comment by Mother — October 31, 2008 @ 2:52 am
This is a horrible accident. I pray for the families involved. We do not need all this racial tension involved. Who cares what color they were. They were human beings and someones children. May God be with the all the families.
Comment by Mother — October 31, 2008 @ 2:55 am
…hey all you racial ppl in here i knew these girls i went to school with them and Ashley (15) the girl who got ejected from the car was my first cousin. I do not appreciate the hurtful things you guys have said. i am so happy none of the families of their lost children have not seen this…
Comment by R.I.P girls! — April 16, 2009 @ 4:15 am
What an awful loss. I can’t really imagine what it must be like to lose one’s child. RIP.
A sidenote. More exactly two.
- Why on Earth are 16-year old wannabe drivers allowed to drive high-power cars at all? I’ve had a driver license for 28 years and I have driven cars up to 500 HP, it’s not the job of 16-year old girls. Maybe it’s time to change the law so that driver licences could be obtained only when you are 18 or older? Maybe it’s time to introduce the “trial licence” system, which is successful in lots of European countries?
- Why on Earth does nobody care about seat belts? Why is it not obligatory? Why are those who don’t wear the belt not fined hundreds of bucks when caught on the spot? I was saved by the seat belt in a head-on collision and got away without a scratch, I know what I’m talking about.
Comment by Jack — May 18, 2009 @ 9:09 am
honestly, why ask questions now? why blame the parents, the mindset of the teenagers, or question the situation in its whole? nothing will bring these innocent souls back, so there is no reason to either racially put down what happened or much less even say the judgement calls were “stupid, stupid, stupid.” Is it not enough that these families do not have their children to watch grow or share their lives with? Is it not enough of a lesson learned that they are left with a grief so unbearable that they blame theirselves firsthand. they do not need your help, so back off. also, how do you know that they even knew what their children were doing? these girls were teenagers, and teenagers lie. what if they told their parents one thing while going to do something completely different? do NOT judge these families, do NOT accuse or put blame on them when YOU ARE NOT IN THEIR SHOES. back off, people, damn, back off.
Comment by lexi — June 6, 2009 @ 3:38 am
I am not from TN but this story hits home. I am a cheerleader for S.C and was involved in a car wreck with 4 other girl’s after a competition. I broke both arms,my right leg,fractured my skull,broke 3 ribs, and was in a coma for 17 days because i was not wearing a seat belt but most importantly i have also lost 2 of my closest friends(1 was wearing a seat belt) and i know for a fact all the pain it cost me and the other 4 families. I sincerely hope these girl’s rest in peace.To all of the families and friends i pray for you!
By the way, to all the people who left unacceptable comments you should be thankful you havnt been put through the pain and suffering these kids,families, and friends have been through.SHAME ON YOU!
Comment by Ashley — June 11, 2009 @ 10:35 pm
I can’t even believe some of the things being said on here. God rest their souls! I think that some of you have forgotten that you rode/drove around with friends after football games or any other night when you were teenagers. And really, what’s wrong with that? Absolutely nothing! Accidents happen and it is incredibly sad when they do. Sometimes it’s no ones fault, i.e. the road conditions. None and I mean none of you have a right to judge the driver or her parents.
I went to a school where we had 7 teenagers killed in two separate accidents within a week in a school of less than 200. One was a volunteer firefighting accident and the other was 5 kids on the way back from visiting their Sunday school teacher. Both were due to road conditions &/or visibility issues. So just shut up about faults and the parents being stupid.
Comment by MomNowUsedToCheer — June 26, 2009 @ 6:39 pm