Three Horizon Christian Academy Students Killed in Florida Spring Break Crash

Jaylyn Fehr had spent the fall season on Horizon Christian Academy's volleyball court, known to teammates for her dedication and sportsmanship. On Monday morning, the Cumming junior joined three classmates in a gray 2024 Jeep Wrangler bound for St. George Island, where their parents were waiting for spring break. The four students never arrived.

At approximately 12:30 p.m. on April 6, the Jeep crashed on State Road 65 near Bloody Bluff Road in Franklin County, Florida, north of Apalachicola. The driver, an 18-year-old male from Alpharetta, crossed the centerline, ran off the east shoulder, and struck a pine tree. The vehicle caught fire immediately after impact.

Three of the four teens were pronounced dead at the scene: the 18-year-old driver, a 17-year-old female from Cumming, and a 16-year-old female from Cumming. Fehr, a junior, was one of the Cumming students killed. A fourth student, a 17-year-old female from Alpharetta seated in the front passenger seat, was pulled from the burning Jeep by bystanders who witnessed the crash before the vehicle became fully engulfed. She was airlifted to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital in critical condition.

Franklin County Sheriff A.J. 'Tony' Smith said tiredness was likely a contributing factor. The teens had been on the road since 5 a.m., putting more than seven hours behind them before the crash, and intoxication was not believed to be a factor. Smith called the rescued teen "very fortunate given the severity of the crash" and urged the public to "keep all the families and victims in your prayers and thoughts." The Florida Highway Patrol's traffic homicide investigation team is examining the cause of the crash, including the vehicle's speed. Highway 65 was closed in both directions for approximately six to seven hours, with drivers rerouted to Highway 67. Franklin County EMS and the Eastpoint Volunteer Fire Department responded alongside the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.

Horizon Christian Academy, a private K-12 school in Cumming with approximately 377 students, confirmed the deaths Monday in a statement: "It is with profound sorrow we share that three of our amazing, kind, smart and loved students were killed in a tragic car accident." The school opened its chapel that evening as a gathering place for the community to grieve and pray together, and asked for continued prayer for the student still hospitalized.

Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman called on the broader community to respond: "In moments like these, communities such as Forsyth unite in support and compassion. I ask each of us to lift these families in our prayers and to offer whatever comfort or assistance we can."

Fehr was active at Local Forsyth church and attended youth group at Northpoint Community Church. Within hours of the crash, a GoFundMe for her family raised more than $3,000 to help cover travel and funeral expenses. The school, which ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Georgia, continued to ask for prayer for the student still in critical condition at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.