Community mourns loss of Milan teen killed in crash

MILAN, Tenn. — A fatal accident left a 16-year-old Milan high school student killed and injured three others.

Zakary Yarbrough

Zakary Yarbrough, 16, a junior at Milan High School, lost his life in a car accident Wednesday evening.

According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, it happened just before 6 p.m. just west of Milan. Yarbrough was a passenger, riding with another Milan student when the vehicle lost control in a curve and hit another car head-on.

“It was pretty devastating. I knew that my kids would be very, very upset. He was like a brother to them,” family friend Andrew Bartholomew said.

Bartholomew received the news late Wednesday night, and according to him he has known Yarbrough since he was a baby.

“Always happy, always smiling, always positive — everybody thought he was the greatest guy, just a really sweet person and good heart,” Bartholomew said.

The high school released a statement saying, “the entire Milan community today mourns the loss of Zak Yarbrough.”

Assistant principal Greg Scott said he was involved in the band and theater club.

“Just about every theater performance either here at Milan Middle School or at Nightlight Theater in Trenton,” Bartholomew said.

Bartholomew also created a GoFundMe page because Zak’s family is requesting donations instead of flowers to start a scholarship fund in his honor.

At Thursday night’s volleyball game at the high school, all the proceeds go to the Yarbrough family.