A Northern Michigan community, reeling from the loss of a high school junior, killed in a car crash earlier this week in front of her school.
The student has been identified by the Mason County Sheriff’s office as 16-year-old Samantha Jo Bateson, a junior from Custer.
The Mason County Eastern Schools superintendent, Paul Shoup said the district is doing its best to support their students and staff in the wake of this tragedy.
“We lost one of our students and another one was injured. So, it has been a tough week,” said Shoup.
Shoup said it’s hard enough to lose a student but it’s even harder when you see the accident happen right in front of you.
“We’re a small school, small community. It shakes everybody to the core, the time that this happened was when people were coming to school to that day,” said Shoup.
He said a lot of students witnessed it.
“It happened at noon. So, a lot of our students do travel at that point to the community college for either dual role courses or career tech courses,” said Shoup.
Shoup said they have counselors to help support students and staff.
“I was out there. A number of staff came in, and a number of our students assisted initially. So, our SRO and students, they truly were the first responders on the scene, said Shoup.
The Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole said the school resource officer was one of the first to arrive and recognized the student.
“He tried his best to render first aid, but it was a violent, violent impact. It’s been very hard on, and not only Jake, but our other resource officers who responded to the scene as well that day from the surrounding area,” said Cole.
Cole said it can be challenging emotionally to be a first responder, especially in small communities.
So many of our firefighters and our police officers, they know the people whose homes they’re going to. and it’s tough. You had the fire chief in Custer. His daughter attends the same school as this young lady,” said Cole.
Custer Township Fire & Jaws was one of many who helped assist the sheriff’s office with the accident.
Shoup said Samantha was a great kid that loved being at the school and was loved by her fellow classmates.
“Just [a] bright star she was. She was one of these quiet students that was giving. Always volunteering. always willing to help out. Never said no. Always offering. That’s probably the best way I can explain,” said Shoup.
The sheriff said speed and alcohol are not believed to be factors in the crash and the driver of the pickup was not injured.
Shoup said a passenger in Bateson’s vehicle, an 18-year-old senior, was injured and hospitalized.
He is recovering at home.
“It sounds like she pulled up to the stop sign and then pulled into the path of the truck that was traveling east on U.S. 10,” said Cole.
