Armwood High School mourns student-athlete killed in hit-and-run crash: 'An amazing young man'
Courtesy: Florida Highway Patrol
SEFFNER, Fla. - Students and staff at a Hillsborough County high school are grieving the tragic loss of a senior at the school.
The school confirmed Elijah Battiste, 17, was hit and killed in a car crash Saturday night in Seffner.
The backstory:
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a Nissan Versa driven by a 40-year-old Mulberry man was traveling eastbound on State Road 574. A Volkswagen Passat driven by 17-year-old Elijah Battiste was traveling westbound.
When the cars were near Chastain Road, the 40-year-old collided nearly head-on with Battiste’s Volkswagen. After the impact, FHP said both vehicles came to a stop in the roadway where the Volkswagen was hit by another vehicle, a Ford F-150.
After the crash, the driver of the Ford fled on foot and remains at large, according to troopers.
Both drivers in the initial crash were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Battiste later died from his injuries.
FHP is still looking for the third driver.
What they're saying:
"They just did their senior panoramic, and I think that's where the kids were really hurting. They're like, 'Langston, and you just talked to us about accidents happen, love every day, love every moment, because tomorrow isn't promised, but this was real'," Armwood High School Principal Dina Langston said.
Langston says this type of tragedy is something they haven't experienced before.
"Like the kids said, like, 'I know what period I would see Elijah in the hall, and it wasn't that he was absent, it's that I'm not going to see him anymore,'" Langston said.
Langston says Elijah was a club soccer player and standout outfielder for Armwood's baseball team.
Courtesy: Armwood High School Baseball
"He's just an amazing young man. He smiled, he gave great hugs," Langston said.
Although she oversaw more than 2,000 students, Langston says she got to know Elijah on a personal level.
"Yesterday, I traveled his classes to just be there for them, because some teachers just didn't even know how to start the class," Langston said. "Some kids who sat next to him just couldn't even walk in the room, right? It's just so heartbreaking."
What's next:
Langston says they're working to find a way to pay tribute to Elijah at Armwood High School's graduation.
The Source: Information for this story came from the Florida Highway Patrol and an interview conducted with Armwood High School's principal.