‘She touched everybody’s life at Rutland,’ principal says of student killed in car wreck

Heather Harrod’s pink parking space at Rutland High School was covered with flowers and remembrances Wednesday.

The senior was killed Tuesday afternoon after her 2005 Toyota Solara convertible crashed through guardrails of Interstate 475’s northbound ramp at Hartley Bridge Road and down a large embankment.

“She touched everybody’s life at Rutland in one way or another,” principal Kent Sparks said. “We’re all heartbroken, and we need the community to lift us up in prayer.”

Harrod is the daughter of Greg and Angela Harrod and the younger sister of Hayley, who graduated from Rutland in 2016, according to the Bibb County school district. Sparks said Harrod was always smiling and had kind words to say.

She was on the soccer team and very involved with Best Buddies, a club that pairs students with special needs children. She was set to go on weeklong cultural exchange trip to Macon’s sister city, Kurobe, Japan, with 15 other students Oct. 4.

“She was truly a very special young lady. Academically, athletically, she was the total package, just the kind of girl you’d want your daughter to grow up to be,” Sparks said.

The district sent a crisis team to the school Wednesday, and representatives of local churches also came out to offer assistance. Counselors and social workers provided support to students and staff throughout the day. Two counselors were assigned specifically to Harrod’s class schedule, the district said.

A candle-lighting vigil was planned for 8 p.m. Wednesday in Harrod’s parking spot at the school. In wake of the tragedy, the student council decided to reschedule homecoming and senior night activities for Nov. 2, although the football game this Friday will still be played as planned.

This story was originally published September 20, 2017 at 2:18 PM with the headline "‘She touched everybody’s life at Rutland,’ principal says of student killed in car wreck."