Counselors visit school after fatal wreck
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HENDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — Henderson County Schools confirmed it called in counselors Wednesday after a crash involving a school bus killed a third grader. The girl‘s brother is still recovering in a Memphis hospital, according to the district. Counselors at Pin Oak Elementary School work to comfort a community touched by tragedy. “It’s hard to see anybody in a community pass away, but it’s tough when it’s a young child,” Henderson County Director of Schools Steve Wilkinson said. Wilkinson said he met Wednesday with faculty, staff, community leaders and clergy. Investigators said a van rear-ended a school bus Tuesday morning, killing 8-year-old Brenna Foster, who was a passenger in the van. “You know, it’s hard to imagine that she’s not here,” Lexington Dixie Softball League President Terry Stewart said. At the softball field where Foster played several nights a week, a scoreboard displays her number. Stewart said Foster was always smiling. “She’ll come up and she’ll peck ya in the stomach and holler at you to get your attention,” he said. Stewart said they canceled games for the rest of the week for all the girls with teams in Foster‘s age group. Wilkinson said he also met with first responders Wednesday to go over Tuesday‘s accident to possibly learn from what happened. “Usually when there’s any kind of calamity it’ll make you either a better person or someone that’s bitter, and we’re going to try to build on the better,” Wilkinson said. Wilkinson confirmed the 15-year-old in the van, Andrew Foster, is a freshman at Scotts Hill High School. The school system said he is in critical but stable condition.
