Yamaha Rhino Rollover: Community grieves girls’ death

Community grieves girls' death

October 27th, 2008 by Emily Marsh

In the midst of Southern Trails in the Lewisburg area, flowers rest where two friends named Emily Bates and Lauren Dilworth died in a Yamaha Rhino accident. According to the DeSoto Times, many people were alarmed after their deaths.

The ATV flipped on the road and pinned the two girls’ bodies; both girls were not wearing seat belts, which may or may not have made a difference in their lives.

After he discovered the accident, Milton Kuykendall, Superintendent of Education in Lewisburg, said, “Life can change in an instant. We are so sorry for their families and friends. There is no greater sadness than losing a child.”

The girls’ teachers considered Bates and Dilworth, both sixth graders, to be “excellent students.” Lewisburg Middle High principal James Brady said about Dilworth, “She was very well-liked by her peers and loved by her teachers.”

Levi Williams, principle of Southaven Middle School said about Bates, “She was an exceptional soccer player, playing on two Southaven recreational leagues, and a member of the SMS band.”

James Wheat, a friend of Bates, can only pray for the two families, considering both girls were very young.

A memorial service was held for Dilworth on October 21st while a service was held for Bates on October 22nd. The families desire any memorials for the girls be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Tags: accident, ATV, death, Emily Bates, Lauren Dilworth, Rhino, seat belts, Yamaha Rhino

This entry was posted on Monday, October 27th, 2008 at 4:23 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.