Local

Family mourns death of pastor struck by bus

DALLAS, Ga. — A father is trying to understand the reason for his son's death. Rev. Andrew Pray died after a bus hit him while he was biking in Bartow County.

Now his family tells Channel 2's Dave Huddleston the Pray family is in the process of planning a funeral.

"It's an unbearable and indescribable loss beyond what we can ever imagine," said Buster Pray, Andrew's father.

Andrew Pray was killed Wednesday afternoon when a charter bus hit him on Highway 41 in Bartow County while he was bike riding.

Buster Pray is a pastor in Arkansas and is use to comforting others, but said it's hard to find the words when it's your own pain.

"There's nothing like this that I've ever experienced so I don't understand it and I can't tell you why," Buster Pray said.

Like his father, Andrew was a man of God serving as the worship pastor at West Ridge Church.

At his home, where family and friends have gathered, children drew hearts on the sidewalk. Friends said the married father of three young children was a man full of life, hope and optimism.

"He cared about you, he cared about your family, he cared about your story and he wanted to see how he could add value to your story, and that was the kind of man he was," said Paul Richardson, pastor of ministry at West Ridge Church.

Richardson said a special service is planned for this Sunday to honor Andrew Pray.

"We've kind of scrapped what was planned previously, and our pastor is preparing a message that God put on his heart about Andrew and his life," Richardson said.

A life that many said they will miss.

"Even in that deep, deep grief, there is hope and that's who Andrew was and that's what Andrew would have wanted," Buster Pray said.

As the investigation continues, so do plans for a funeral and memorial service for a man friends and family say is in heaven, but left Earth a little too soon.

Andrew pray was a pastor at West Ridge for two years. Sunday's service will be at 9 a.m.