Dozens of pink and black balloons dotted the sky over the Columbus High School softball field this morning, as students reflected on the shocking loss of a classmate.
The gathering that brought hundreds of students to the softball field at 7:20 a.m. memorialized 16-year-old Taylor Harris, who died in a car crash early Sunday. Mourners held signs bearing the number 9, Harris’ jersey number, as well as messages like “Long Live Taylor.” Even New Hope softball players and CHS graduates came to pay their respects.
“She had a beautiful spirit,” said her friend Jahri Brooks, a CHS graduate who has known Harris since she was a little girl.
Harris was driving east on Highway 82 near Columbus at about 3:45 a.m. Sunday, with fellow CHS softball player Keayra Hughes in the passenger seat, when the car ran off the road and collided with a guardrail at the intersection of Highway 45 South, according to a press release from Mississippi Highway Patrol. Hughes was airlifted to North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo with serious injuries. Harris died at the scene.
Both Harris and Hughes had been wearing seatbelts, the MHP release said. Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant said there will be no autopsy but that there will be a toxicology report.
At this morning’s ceremony, CHS senior Robert Woodard II, conveyed the somber reminder that life is too fragile to take for granted.
“Life is too short,” he said. “You have to show everyone that you love them right now while you can.”
A team player
Coach Eric Thornton said both Harris and Hughes were integral pieces of the school’s softball program. Harris had played three years, mostly at right field for the fast-pitch squad and as an extra hitter for the slow-pitch team.
In fact, he said Harris had a big hit in the last inning Saturday to help Columbus come back and beat New Hope.
“From a softball standpoint, Taylor was a big part of what we were doing,” said Thornton, who coaches the school’s slow-and fast-pitch programs. “She had come on strong as a hitter and had a good start to the season. She was a good kid and a good student, and she was on track to graduate this year, a year early.
“She was one of those people who always brings a smile to everybody’s face,” he added. “She was always doing something to bring a smile or a laugh to somebody. She always kept the mood light. She also was one of the more vocal leaders on our team. She didn’t mind telling you if you weren’t doing what you were supposed to and she would put you in line pretty quick. She will be missed in that aspect.”
He said he will remember the smile and the dance Harris did as she rounded third base after hitting her first career home run in a recent game against Louisville.
Thornton had similar things to say about Hughes, who has played in the softball program since the eighth grade and is the team’s starting shortstop.
“Keayra also is an excellent young lady,” he said. “She is big hearted and is a sweet kid. Every time I see her she has a big smile on her face. If not, she is going to brighten up and smile. She is one of those people who brightens up a room. She brings energy with her. She is a great student and an excellent softball player.”
Hughes remains in critical condition, Thornton said Sunday afternoon, but said it looked like things were getting “a little better for her.”
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