PCHS Teen Killed in Wreck

By Suzanne Stewart, Staff Photographer
An 18-year-old Pocahontas County High School senior teen died early Sunday morning after he apparently fell asleep while driving along state Route 28 north of Huntersville on his way home from the Elkins High School prom.

According to Sgt. B.C. Totten of the Pocahontas County Sheriff’s Department, Loren Buzzard of Marlinton was driving a 1990 Toyota truck when he went left of center, continued to travel off the road and collided with a tree.

“I can tell you for a fact, he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” Totten said. “His brother said he thought he was pretty tired.”

Buzzard’s brother was traveling behind him, but he didn’t see the crash occur, Totten said. The brothers were returning from Elkins. Buzzard was transported to Pocahontas Memorial Hospital by Marlinton Rescue Squad and later taken to UVA Hospital in Charlottesville, Va.

Faculty and counselors at PCHS prepared themselves to handle the heavy emotions students would have Monday from dealing with losing a fellow classmate.

“We have our crisis plan in place,” guidance counselor Linda Beverage said. “We contacted local ministers, and we also have counselors and parents coming into the school to be there for the students. Seneca Health Services will be here, too.”

Beverage expected a difficult day for the students and said all the faculty could do is “just be available and their for the kids.”

Members of Upward Bound, an organization Buzzard belonged to, assembled a memory board with pictures for students to leave memories and to also help with their grieving process.