JCCHS prepares to say goodbye to senior crash victim

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

staff reports

JEFFERSON - 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 Redd will be read with the rest of their classmates receiving diplomas and the balloons will be released into the air.

Redd died Sunday in a crash near Jefferson. On April 29, Luthi was killed in a one-car wreck on U.S. 129. Partington died April 2 in a crash while visiting his mother in Tennessee during spring break.

In the Sunday accident Redd and 24-year-old James Hattaway of Colbert were killed when the Toyota pickup Hattaway was driving hit a tree about 3 a.m. 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. Wednesday at Bethany United Methodist Church in Jefferson.

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