GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga — Days after the death of a Mill Creek High School student in a car accident, the driver of that car has been booked into Gwinnett County Jail.
The Mill Creek cheer team posted on Sunday afternoon that one of their junior cheerleaders, 16-year-old Caitlyn Pollock, of Buford, died in the accident the night before.
Police identified the driver of the car as 21-year-old Kyle McDowell and said he would face charges for driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to maintain lane, and first-degree vehicular homicide.
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McDowell was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, and police booked him into jail on Wednesday.
Gwinnett County police said Pollock was a passenger in McDowell’s car when he failed to navigate the entrance ramp onto state Route 316, hitting a concrete barrier.
It’s still unclear how Pollock knew McDowell or where they were going.
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The family’s spokeswoman, Lori D’Adamio, said Pollock was loved by everyone.
“She had a smile that just lit up the room and made you feel good,” D’Adamio said. “Life is precious and it can be taken away in an instant, and Caitlyn’s was taken away and it shouldn’t have been.”
Mill Creek High School Principal Jason Lane sent a letter to the school community following the crash: :”It is with deep sadness that I inform you about the tragic loss of one of our Mill Creek High students over the weekend. Our hearts and thoughts are with the student’s family, friends, and loved ones as they cope with this tremendous personal loss.”
Channel 2′s Elizabeth Rawlins was at Mill Creek High School Monday when it was a very somber day. Students and teachers held a moment of silence to remember their classmate.
The school also had counselors and social workers on hand to help students grieve.
Police have not released details about the crash. Channel 2 has reached out to Gwinnett police for the crash reports.
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