Friends, family recall Forsyth teen killed in freak accident
By all accounts – his parents’, his girlfriend’s, his teacher’s – Trenton Basden of Cumming was an exceptional young man. He took Advanced Placement classes in every subject at North Forsyth High School and was scheduled to graduate in weeks.
On Tuesday, Trenton, 18, was driving home from a study group in his macroeconomics class. As he approached an oncoming vehicle, the other car struck a deer and hurled the animal through Trenton's windshield. He died at the scene. Some thoughts from those who knew him best:
“He very loyal, a lover at heart. He loved to do things for people.”
– Steve Basden, Trenton’s father
“He wore the coolest glasses. He held himself with a lot of confidence. . . . He taught me to love myself, to not care what other people think. He’s the reason I’m so able to be so freaking strong right now.”
– Katie Van Voorn, 18, Trenton’s girlfriend
“No one was better at telling jokes in uncomfortable situations. He could really read a room. It would’ve been nice to have him here right now.”
– Lacy Hamilton, 17, a friend
“I don’t think the other kids knew just how hard he worked. He was a pleasure to teach.”
– John Major, economics instructor
Funeral for Trenton Basden will be 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Mountain Lake Church in Cumming.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
