16-year-old cheerleader dies in car crash, Georgia police say. Driver charged with DUI
A Georgia community is mourning the loss of a 16-year-old student killed in a car accident over the weekend, authorities say.
Caitlyn Pollock, a junior at Mill Creek High School, died Saturday, Oct. 29, in a single-car crash near State Route 316, according to Gwinnett County police.
Pollock was the front-seat passenger in a pickup truck heading north on Sugarloaf Parkway toward State Route 316, authorities said. The driver, a 21-year-old male, failed to navigate onto the ramp and struck a concrete barrier.
Pollock died at the scene, according to police. The driver was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
Officials at Mill Creek High School, where Pollock was a member of the cheer squad, confirmed her death.
“Gone from our sight, but never our hearts,” a tribute posted on the school’s Facebook page reads. “... Our deepest condolences go out to her family and we hope the many happy memories she has left behind will offer some peace in this difficult time.”
Pollock was deeply “passionate about cheer” and adored her friends and family, according to a GoFundMe started on the family’s behalf.
She was “always smiling and the life of any event,” the fundraising page reads. “Caitlyn lived life to the fullest every day.”
The 21-year-old driver has been charged with driving under the influence, failure to maintain lane and first-degree vehicular homicide, a department spokesperson confirmed to McClatchy News. Police haven’t released his identity.
There were seven passengers inside the truck, two of whom were taken to a hospital with injuries, the spokesperson said.
Authorities said the crash remains under investigation.
Hoschton is about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta.
This story was originally published October 31, 2022 at 2:57 PM with the headline "16-year-old cheerleader dies in car crash, Georgia police say. Driver charged with DUI."