Family member Angela Cochran-Pinkston received a card and hugs from those attending the vigil, offering their support to her family in their time of mourning. (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)
Under a pink sunset, Raider Park sign and athletic field lighting, around 100 people gathered in a circle at Wilbanks Middle School. These people, affected by the Feb. 24 wreck that killed Toccoa businessman, Hayward Cochran Jr., and injured Habersham Central High School student, Hadden Carswell, gathered for a prayer vigil. Teammates, coaches, friends, and family of Carswell, as well as broken-hearted members of the involved communities, offered prayers for Hadden’s healing and peace for Cochran’s family.
“Everybody loves Hadden, he’s such a great kid,” said Chris Akridge, head coach of the Habersham Central Raiders. “One of the best kids I’ve ever had the privilege of teaching and coaching,” Akridge recalled Carswell’s positivity, great attitude, and friendliness. “It’s shocking; it’s heartbreaking,” he said.
Akridge says that Hadden and the rest of the team are close and that this wreck has had a profound impact on the coaches and players. HCHS students made their way to the vigil, some with parents and some with groups of students. HCHS students are using the hashtag “#carswellstrong” to show their support in Hadden’s recovery and love for his family during the difficult time they find themselves in.
“He’s as good as it gets as a person,” said HCHS junior Duren Chambers. “He’s there for everybody, it doesn’t matter who you are.” Chambers described Hadden as faithful, kind, outgoing, and compassionate. “He loves Jesus,” she says. She says she’s seen Hadden overcome obstacles before, and that she knows he can get through this, too. “The Lord has a plan for you,” she writes on Snapchat. “This is just one small step in his great big plan for your life.”
During the vigil, the Raider family brought cards to be signed for the Carswell and Cochran families. Through the night, they morphed into open displays of love and sympathy, crowded with signatures and well-wishes.
Cochran’s daughter, Angelia Cochran-Bolton, and family member Angela Cochran-Pinkston were in attendance.
Cochran-Bolton remembers her father as a man who loved his family and God and was a dedicated member and Deacon at Crossroads Baptist Church in Toccoa. He was known for making friends wherever he went; he was passionate about genealogy and digging up old family photos. She says her father was on track to convince them that they “were related to everybody.”
Cochran ran a cleaning service in Toccoa. He leaves behind a community that misses him dearly.
Tonight, Habersham and Stephens County are two communities bound by a single tragedy. The families directly impacted by it are leaning heavily on the prayers and support being offered to them. They ask for continued prayers in the trying days ahead.
By: Hadley Cottingham | Now Habersham
