It’s too late for two teenagers who plunged to their deaths from a White County bridge in March. But new guardrails have been installed to hopefully prevent a similar tragedy.
Gene Nix Road was reopened Wednesday after the guardrails were installed, County Manager Mike Melton said.
On March 15, Cecily Mcree Hamilton, 16, and Taylor Scott Swing, 18, died when the car they were in left the roadway and dropped into the cold creek below, according to investigators.
After searching for hours for his daughter, Shannon Hamilton stood on the bridge and watched helplessly as a car was pulled from that creek. Inside were the bodies of two teenagers, including his 16-year-old daughter.
"I gave her a kiss and told her I loved her," Shannon Hamilton told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution earlier this month. "Hugged her freezing body and said goodbye."
Hamilton said the deaths could have been prevented had guardrails been in place at the bridge. White County leaders agreed with him, Hamilton said.
But when nothing had been done on the bridge nearly a month after the wreck, Hamilton took matters into his own hands. As he attempted to put up a temporary barricade April 12, Hamilton was arrested by two deputies. News of Hamilton’s arrest made national headlines.
Later that week, temporary concrete barriers were placed on the bridge. Charges against Hamilton were later dropped.
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