POLK COUNTY, Ga. — Cedartown High School senior Kari Macedo died in a one-car crash along Collard Valley Road.
"It's a tragedy regardless of the size of the community. But it's especially a tragedy in a community this size," Cedartown Police Chief James Newsome said.
Newsome was one of the first to arrive at the scene of the crash.
He said that at around 7:45 a.m., Macedo was in a car with two male classmates when the driver somehow lost control and crashed into a ditch.
Macedo was thrown from the car. Police said she was taken to Polk Medical Center where she later died. Grief counselors were on hand at the high school Tuesday and will be for the rest of the week.
In an address to the entire school, the principal called for a moment of silence.
"I was actually on duty this morning when we heard the ambulances and the sirens. It's just about a mile from the school here," Principal Darrell Weatherington said.
Friends and family described the senior as a popular student who got good grades and was part of the drama club.
“She was particularly loved, and so I know this is not going to be an easy process, Macedo’s drama teacher Chris Reaves said. “The few friends of hers I've spoken with today have mostly signed out of school. They just needed to be by themselves."
The names of the two men in the car have not been released. Both were released from the hospital Tuesday.
Georgia State Patrol is investigating the cause of the crash.