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Cherokee County boy accepts diploma for sister killed in wreck

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — The brother of an Etowah High School student killed in a car accident this week accepted his sister's diploma at graduation.

Lucy Boettcher died on Tuesday after a crash on I-285 in Dunwoody. Her 15-year-old brother,  Sam accepted her diploma  at Friday night's graduation ceremony in Woodstock.

The church erupted into applause and cheers as Boettcher's name was read.

"I felt really proud to be able to receive that diploma since she was such a good person," her younger brother told Channel 2's Liz Artz.

Darius Valcarcel, 22, also died Tuesday night in the car accident. He graduated from Etowah in 2010.

Boettcher's funeral is planned for Sunday.