The community of Tusculum University is mourning the loss of one of its students, 19-year-old Payton Cook, who was tragically killed in a car accident on Friday evening, November 5. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol's preliminary report, Cook was a passenger in a vehicle that veered off Old Tusculum Road and struck a tree. The accident occurred near Oak Grove Free Will Baptist Church around 6 p.m.
The driver of the 2018 Honda Pilot, identified by THP as 18-year-old Hagan Hunter Windsor from West Virginia, has been charged with driving on roadways laned for traffic, as reported by WVLT-TV. In the wreck, Cook and Windsor were both wearing seatbelts, as were the other three injured passengers, whose injuries are described as not life-threatening.
Cook, an Alberta, Canada native, was attending Tusculum University as a freshman. He played on the men's lacrosse team and was majoring in business administration. In the wake of the accident, the university's Office of Student Affairs and the Rev. E.J. Swatsell, director of spiritual life and special projects, are providing support for students, faculty, and staff impacted by the tragedy.
The university expressed its grief in a statement shared on social media, saying, "This is devastating news for all of us and, most importantly, for his personal family. Our hearts and prayers go out to all members of the Cook family," according to WBIR. Additionally, Tusculum University announced it will be holding a memorial for Cook at Pioneer Arena at 5 p.m. on Dec. 8, as per a separate statement obtained by The Greeneville Sun.
Other students injured in the incident include Brandon Newsom, 18, of Oklahoma; Jordan York, 18, of South Carolina; and Nathan Desouza, 19, of California, the follow-up THP preliminary report specified. The university has not released additional details regarding the crash or the conditions of the injured students at this time.
