James
The communities of Atmore and Flomaton are mourning this week as news of a car crash Saturday killed a Flomaton Elementary School student and critically injured other family members.
Jaden James, a sixth grader at Flomaton Elementary School, died when the rear of his family's vehicle was struck last Saturday morning after 9 a.m. James was a rear passenger and died from his injuries at the hospital.
A pickup was traveling southbound on State Road 97 in Escambia County, Fla., south of Tungoil Road, entered the northbound lane attempting to pass other traffic in a no passing zone.
James' father, Jermaine, was turning left into a driveway, when the pickup's front end struck their vehicle in the rear. The 16-year-old passenger of the pickup as well as James' wife, Lashelby, were transported to the hospital. Lashelby, Jaden's mother, who works in the lunchroom at FES, was critically injured.
Further information on the crash was not available at press time Wednesday.
Flomaton Elementary Principal George Brown described Jaden as a walking example of the expectations of how a kid should behave at school and how they should treat each other.
'Respect others, work hard, make good decisions, smile a lot and love other people' is the school motto and Brown said James was a shining example of that.
"Jaden's been here a lot longer than me," said Brown. "He's been doing those things long before I got here. I never heard a negative word about Jaden. I never heard him speak angrily about anyone. Everything you heard said or spoken about him was how kind he was, how big of a heart he had and how he just loved people. That's what we should all strive to do."
Brown said the sixth grade has taken on the motto 'we are going to try and live like Jaden.' He said if everyone, including adults, lived that way, they would live life the way it's intended to be lived, the right way.
Brown went to school with James' father, Jermaine, and spoke to him, assuring him that everyone is praying for his wife, Lashelby. Brown addressed the fourth, fifth and sixth grade classes Monday morning about the news and counselors were on campus to help the students with the tragic news.
"When the kids are here, I treat them like mine," said Brown. "When I got that phone call, it hurt me. It took my breath away. I can't even describe how much it hurts me. I cannot tell you how awesome this child was."
Brown said there are plans to do something at the school this coming spring in memory of James and _____, a kindergartner who died last year. He said planting a tree with a bench and maybe a birdbath with a scripture are ideas that have been suggested in remembrance of the two students.
Blaire Singleton taught James in fifth grade last year and recalled him as being humble, hard-working and loved by his friends, who knew they could count on him.
"He saw the good in everybody," said Singleton. "He wanted to be a preacher and he wasn't ashamed of it. Every time he could talk about his faith, he did. He was such a humble, sweet, kind little boy. My hear just breaks. I cannot imagine the pain his parents are going through."
Singleton said when James smiled, he lit up and oozed wonderful, in every way. She described him as patient, never upset and encouraging of his friends at every turn.
"He was just perfect, he could do it all," she said. "He never complained. He was precious, absolutely precious. He was a teacher's dream. He knew what was expected, he did it before you had to ask him. He was prepared, ready to do whatever was asked."
Singleton said his classmates from last year and this year are devastated, heart-broken. She said this is the first student she has ever lost. Singleton said she prays Lashelby will be healed and cannot imagine her pain.
"I never dreamed I'd go through this as a teacher," Singleton said. "I know accidents happen, but you always think it's somebody else. Not us. It's truly heart-breaking."
Leslie Wedgeworth was James' third grade teacher and described him as a dream, always grinning, very quiet and a good mentor for other students, setting an example for other students.
"He was the top of my class," said Wedgeworth. "He was very strong academically. There would be days where you never had to say his name for anything other than for something good. You never had any discipline problems, you never had to call his attention back to you. It was always for praise for him, or to help others, he was just a dream of a student."
Wedgeworth said he was loved and respected by his peers and his teachers. She recalled a day the class dressed up for Read Across America Day where James dressed up as the Cat in the Hat.
"That day, he would just pop up and appear, he really got out of his shell that day," said Wedgeworth. "He really got into character that day, he was in a playful mood. The students thought he was really funny. He was always full of life. Everybody loved Jaden."
She said when she saw James in the hall this year, he always wanted a hug. She taught his brother in the past and saw his sister in the halls at school. With his mother working in the school lunchroom, she felt like the whole James family was part of the school family.
"If you knew him, you loved him," said Wedgeworth. "We needed him here on earth, but Heaven needed him a little bit more. It's hard to let students go when they move, but this is a definite goodbye, and it's been tough."
