Just hours after winning their conference championship Saturday, two LaGrange College baseball players, including one from metro Atlanta, were among three people killed in a crash in Troup County.
Jacob Brown, 19, a freshman pitcher from Peachtree Ridge High School, and 18-year-old Stephen Bartolotta died at the scene, authorities confirmed. Bartolotta, a native of Palm City, Florida, was also a freshman pitcher.
A third man, 25-year-old Rico Dunn, was in another vehicle and was killed in the head-on collision. He’d been celebrating his sister’s birthday just before the crash, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
LaGrange College president Susanna Baxter said in a statement Sunday, “I am deeply saddened to make you aware that we have suffered the loss of two students last night. Baseball players Stephen Bartolotta and Jacob Brown were both killed in a tragic car accident.”
The crash happened around 9:15 p.m. on Ga. 109 near Paddle Wheel Drive when an eastbound 2015 Honda Accord driven by Brown tried to pass a 2019 Accord in a no-passing zone, according to the Georgia State Patrol. As it overtook the other car, the 2015 Accord collided with a 2008 GMC Sierra head-on.
Upon impact, the Sierra overturned and came to a rest off the road, troopers said. The driver, Dunn, was flown to Piedmont Columbus Regional hospital, where he was pronounced dead at around 4 a.m., according to the state patrol and the Troup County coroner. Brown and Bartolotta, who were both in the 2015 Accord, died at the scene.
Debris from the crash hit the 2019 Accord, but its occupants were uninjured.
Lakes-Dunson-Robertson Funeral Home, which is handling the arrangements for Dunn, told Channel 2 that the family would like everyone to know that he “was the epitome of love. He loved and adored his nieces, nephews and family.”
He loved animals and was a “very caring person that would do anything for anyone, whether he knew how to do it or not — he would try,” the news station reported.
LaGrange (37-6) had just defeated North Carolina Wesleyan 10-7 to capture a best-of-three series and secure its fifth straight USA South tournament title. With the win, the Panthers earned a spot in the NCAA Division III national tournament.
“Coming on the heels of the team’s conference championship win yesterday, this news hits our baseball players especially hard,” Baxter said. “There simply are no words.”
LaGrange College director of communications and marketing Dean Hartman described the Panthers as a close-knit group, which has helped lead to their success.
“I really think shell-shocked is probably the best word,” he told Channel 2. “It’s such a shock to the system, to go from winning the conference title here and then a few hours later losing two of your teammates.”
College chaplain Adam Roberts held a campus gathering Sunday afternoon, after which students were able to meet individually or in groups with faculty who are trained to help support students through the loss.
“It’s a quality (baseball) program, with quality young men. They’re struggling,” Hartman said.
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