Family of Cobb County teacher killed in wreck: 'She impacted so many'

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — It was a busy, but exciting time for Allison Anne Carroll. In two months, the 24-year-old planned to marry her best friend.

Heath Satterfield said he'll never forget the perfect Sunday back in October when he proposed to Allison. They were in Athens, on the campus of their alma mater.

"We were almost to where the ring was and she looked at me and said, ‘Don't even pretend like you're going to propose to me right now,’ and I almost started crying," Satterfield said. “I got to ask my best friend to marry me and that was, so far, the best day of my life."

[RELATED: Police believe speed played a role in deadly head-on crash]

That joy quickly turned to darkness when Allison was killed in a car wreck Sunday night. Investigators believe Carroll was struck by a 20-year-old driver who was speeding and may have lost control of his Toyota Corolla.

Allison had written Satterfield a letter marking their three-year anniversary, which he told Channel 2's Carl Willis will not take on a deeper meaning.

"She said, ‘I still can't believe that you're the one I get to marry and have kids with and spend the rest of my life with,” and that hits you hard when you realize that none of that can happen," Satterfield said.

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Allison's father, Ed Carroll, said it's not easy to share this time of grief, but it is important.

"I've shed a lot of tears over the past few days, but I owe it to Allison. She was... I owe it to her to get her message and legacy out there," Carroll said. “She made an impact on so many people. We didn't really realize the impact that she made in her short life. She packed so much into it. She was planning her wedding, and she was so excited about school.”

Allison was set to meet her newest class of third-graders at Cobb County's Dowell Elementary School. 
Now, her fellow teachers, friends are grieving the young woman known for her caring, giving spirit.

"For all who knew her, it's no exaggeration to say she was the sweetest person they knew," a friend posted on an online fundraising page. "She was light-hearted, warm, and kind to everyone, and was especially loyal to her friends and family. She constantly sought out ways to serve and care for those around her."

Investigators believe Carroll was struck by a 20-year-old driver who was speeding and may have lost control of his Toyota Corolla.

A passenger in the Corolla, Ashley Nicole Bratton, 17, was also killed in the crash. She would have been a senior at North Cobb High School, according to her online obituary.

The investigation into the crash was still underway Thursday. No charges have been filed.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution contributed to this article. 

Cox Media Group