Distracted Driving May Have Caused Fatal Weekend Wreck, Troopers Say

Troopers say distracted driving may have contributed to a weekend accident that killed a Franklin County teen.

Funeral services are schedule for this afternoon in Royston for a Franklin County teen killed over the weekend in a wreck.

14-year old William Hayden Tompkins of Royston was killed in the crash. Tompkins was an 8th grader at Franklin County Middle School.

Tompkins and two other teens were passengers in a vehicle driven by 18-year old Kaitlyn Hudson of Toccoa.

According to the Hartwell Post of the Georgia State Patrol, it happened about 10p Friday night on Georgia Highway 63 at mile marker 1 in Franklin County.

Troopers say Hudson’s 2005 Dodge Ram pick up was traveling south on 63 when she lost control and hit a guardrail on the right side of the road.

The truck flipped and spun across the road hitting a tree.

That impact caused the truck to spin back across the road and land right side up on the right side shoulder.

Hudson, along with her three teenage passengers, were ejected.

According to the trooper’s report, neither Hudson, nor her passengers were wearing seatbelts.

Hudson suffered serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to Athens Regional.

Two other teens who were also passengers in Hudson’s vehicle also suffered serious injuries and were taken by ambulance to Piedmont-Athens Regional Medical Center.

Their conditions are not known.

The names of the two other passengers in Hudson’s vehicle will not be released because they are minors.