Counselors to Help Students Work Through Classmates’ Deaths

Special counselors will be on hand at Franklin County High School today to help students work through the tragic loss of two of their classmates.

According to GSP Hartwell Post Commander Al Whitworth, two teens are identified as 17-year old Timothy Hartman of Canon, and 17-year old Maleke Moon of Canon, were killed in an accident Wednesday.  Both were seniors at FCHS.

Whitworth said it happened about 1:45p Wednesday on Jackson Bridge Road.

“The vehicle was traveling west on Jackson Bridge Road when the driver went around a curve and lost control,” Whitworth said late Wednesday afternoon. “The vehicle traveled off the right side of the roadway, traveled down a 35-foot embankment and overturned. Two of the occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver is identified as 18-year old Samuel Parten of Canon.  Parten, a Police Explorer, was injured and taken to Athens Regional Medical Center.

No word on the extent of his injuries.

Whitworth said late Wednesday it’s not yet clear exactly what caused Parten to lose control.

“The GSP Hartwell Post and the Special Collision Investigation Reconstruction Team will continue to investigate the cause of the accident and charges are pending,” Whitworth said.

“The counselors and other student support personnel will be available to all students at the high school throughout the day. The prayers and thoughts of the entire Franklin County School system are with the parents of these students,” O’Dell said.