Funeral and visitation times have been set for a Decatur teenager killed early Saturday morning in a hit-and-run collision on Covington Highway.
John William Poe II, 16, will be memorialized Saturday in a 10 a.m. family service at A.S. Turner & Sons Funeral Home in Decatur, his brother Jason Poe said. The family will also hold a visitation at the same location Friday from 4-8 p.m. Masks will be required for all mourners.
“He was a regular teenager who was into typical teenager stuff, like video games,” Jason Poe said. “But he also loved to write. He enjoyed writing things like poetry and essays; that’s how he told his story.”
Poe’s older brother described the Decatur High student as a warm person who could befriend people of any age. He could be the life of the party but was also introspective and deep.
“He had some emotional hurdles in his life that gave him a little more experience than the average 16-year-old,” Jason said.
John Poe’s last communication with his family was to check in with his father Friday night. He was reported missing over the weekend after he slept over at a friend’s house but was nowhere to be found in the morning, his family told AJC.com.
According to the initial investigation, the teen was last seen with his bike at a gas station on Covington Highway. Before he was reported missing Saturday afternoon, DeKalb police responded to a fatal pedestrian accident about 3 a.m. in the same area, police spokeswoman Michaela Vincent said.
According to an incident report, Poe was riding his bike when he was hit by a white vehicle traveling east on Covington Highway near South Indian Creek Drive. The vehicle knocked Poe off his bike and to the side of the road. He wasn’t wearing a helmet at the time of the incident, the report indicated.
The driver left the scene before police arrived, authorities said. Information regarding the vehicle’s make and model wasn’t released.
Poe, who was not carrying any identification on him, was taken to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries, police said. He was then transferred to the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office.
John Poe Sr., Poe’s father, reported him missing to DeKalb police around 6 p.m. Saturday after initially contacting Decatur police, according to authorities. Two days later, police said they were able to make the connection between the missing person case and the hit-and-run after the medical examiner’s office notified authorities with information about the unidentified victim.
Investigators believe the white vehicle that hit Poe may have damage to the right front side. Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477.
After Poe’s family sought assistance on Facebook and Nextdoor over the weekend in finding the teen, his sister-in-law on Monday released a sad update: “We received the worst possible news. John passed away early Saturday morning due to a hit-and-run. John’s father and the entire Poe family thank you for sharing your thoughts and prayers.”
Decatur High students received notification of their classmate’s death and an offer of counseling from Principal Rochelle Lofstrand on Monday: “It is with great sadness that I share some news with you. Today, the Decatur community received confirmation of the death of John Poe, a DHS student, who had been missing since Friday, November 13.”
— Staff writer Maureen Downey contributed to this article.
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