Tragedy struck a Georgia community as a teenage boy and his family were laid to rest after a catastrophic car crash on I-75. Brandon Crawford, 14, who had become a rising star at Cass High School both academically and athletically, died in the pileup alongside his parents Erin and Dakarai Mason, his 6-year-old brother Titus, and 21-year-old Kennesaw State student Aimee Odom. Mourners gathered on Monday for a memorial service for Crawford at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Cartersville, as reported by WSB-TV.
In the fatal crash, which happened on May 19, the Mason family’s Kia van was headed northbound when it crossed the center median, triggering a domino effect with at least two other vehicles. Despite his grave injuries, dying at the scene was Crawford, his parents, and Odom, while Titus succumbed at the hospital days later, as detailed by Atlanta News First. Noah Mason, another brother, survived and was released from the hospital Friday.
Crawford was a freshman who not only excelled on the football field but was also part of the school's international studies magnet program. "Brandon Crawford was the kid that ran from the main building to the field house every day for practice because he loved it," remarked Coach Steve Gates, in a statement obtained by WSB-TV. Teammates admired him for his passion, dedication, and his academic performance — he left us with four A's in his classes, embodying what it meant to be a perfect Colonel."
The Bartow County community has been shaken to its core, with funeral arrangements pending for Crawford's parents and his younger brother. While Odom’s family said their goodbyes on Friday, critically injured Tori Lawson, caught up in the crash while driving to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta to be with her son, is struggling for life. The investigation into what transformed a regular traffic on I-75 into a tragic loss of life is still ongoing, according to WSB-TV.
