BRANTLEY COUNTY, Ga. – A local teen is dead after he was hit by a passing vehicle while riding his bicycle.
Investigators say 14-year-old Justin Cody Smith was riding his bicycle along Georgia 110. The teenager attempted to cross the road when a vehicle struck him from behind. The Brantley County Sheriff’s Office tells Action News that he was killed instantly.
"Everyone here at Brantley County High School will truly miss him. We all loved him,” said Ashley O’Neal.
That's the sentiment shared by an entire school in mourning.
O’Neal was on her way to see her friend, Smith, in gym class when she got devastating news.
“A good friend of mine came up and told me that Cody had just died. I was in shock and I instantly, tears started coming out."
Ashley is one of about 50 students who didn’t want to come to school Tuesday following Monday's tragedy.
Sadly, somber days like this one are all too familiar for students at Brantley High School.
This marks the second student killed this school year. A car accident claimed the life of 11th-grader Devon Johns in September.
“There's not a handbook or a rulebook to know what to do in situations like this,” said Principal Burt Smith. “The faculty has stuck together well. The students, I'm very proud of our students."
"We're just sticking together, staying strong together,” said O’Neal.
A memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at the Atkinson Church of God of Prophecy.
No charges have been filed against the driver.
