3 high school seniors to be remembered at graduation

From: Access North Georgia, GA - May 22, 2007

The Associated Press - JEFFERSON, Ga.

Balloons will mark three chairs at graduation ceremonies Friday at Jackson County Comprehensive High School in honor of seniors killed in separate automobile crashes over the past two months.

The names of Matthew Partington, Jeremy Luthi and Kyle Reed will be read with the rest of their classmates receiving diplomas and the balloons will be released into the air.

The most recent of the deaths happened Sunday. Principal Pat Stueck says the ceremony will have some somber moments. But Stueck met with the senior class yesteray and reminded them that graduation is still a time to celebrate.

Partington died April second in a crash while visiting his mother in Tennessee during spring break.

On April 29th, senior Jeremy Luthi was killed in a one-car wreck on U.S. 129.

Redd was killed about 3 a.m. Sunday along with 24-year-old James Hattaway of Colbert when the Toyota pickup Hattaway was driving hit a tree on Georgia 335 near Jefferson.

Hattaway and Redd both were hearing impaired and were returning from Deaf Awareness Day at Six Flags on Saturday. Another passenger was injured and remains hospitalized.

Stueck says despite Redd's hearing disability, he was to graduate with honors and lettered in cross country, soccer and football.

Redd was the starting goalkeeper on the Panthers soccer team for four years.

Redd's funeral will be held at 6 p.m. tomorrow at Bethany United Methodist Church in Jefferson.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.