Family and friends honor life of teen killed in car accident

LEXINGTON, Tenn — Family and friends plant a tree so the world can remember the beautiful flower they loss.

“It’s been very humbling knowing that her death is helping to bring people to Christ,” Madison Brown said.

“Ultimately it’s just a way we can remember Allie forever,” Briana Alexander said.

Allie Henderson and Mason Keen were killed exactly one week ago when their car veered into the path of a TDOT truck along Highway 22-A.

“We were driving back in the car that night to Lexington and she was singing this song to me and kept grabbing my face and she was just dancing and laughing the whole time. That’s one of the last memories and one of the best I have of her,” Alexander shared.

Briana Alexander and Madison Brown wanted to do something to honor their best friend.

“Allie loved nature and she was always drawing trees and suns and moons and I think that was a lot of the inspiration for it,” Brown said.

Allie’s family was on hand as the Shoal Creek Vitex Sapling was planted. When it blooms, its flowers will be purple, Allie’s favorite color.

“Her mom and her sister have dealt with it really well compared to how I thought they would. They just have a really strong faith in God and they are reaching out and comforting people,” Brown said.

It’s more than Allie’s family and friends remembering her legacy. Her church family at the First Baptist Church in Lexington are remembering her as well.

“We really didn’t know why God laid that passage on our heart,” student ministry intern at the church, Jason Marcum said.

Marcum and his friend Grant Taylor wrote a song three days before the accident not knowing it would help them heal.

“We just felt like this song was perfect for this event so we wanted to dedicate it to her,” Marcum said.

With this blooming tree something else begins to overflow. Peace.

“It comes from the Lord and it comes from knowing that her death is bringing others to Christ,” Brown said.

The tree is planted on Alexander’s family farm. The spot was picked because it is where she plans to build her house and wanted Allie to be there.

As for the song, the writers say they hope to record it soon.