It was a busy, but exciting time for Allison Anne Carroll.
In two months, the 24-year-old planned to marry her best friend. But before that, she would meet her newest class of third-graders at Dowell Elementary School in Cobb County, Georgia. Carroll also planned to spend two days with her fiance’s family before returning to work to prepare for the new school year.
Instead, her fellow teachers, friends and family are grieving the young woman known for her caring, giving spirit. Carroll was killed in a head-on crash Sunday night near Acworth in metro Atlanta.
"For all who knew her, it's no exaggeration to say she was the sweetest person they knew," a friend posted on an online fundraising page. "She was light-hearted, warm, and kind to everyone, and was especially loyal to her friends and family. She constantly sought out ways to serve and care for those around her."
Investigators believe Carroll was struck by a 20-year-old driver who was speeding and may have lost control of his Toyota Corolla.
A passenger in the Corolla, Ashley Nicole Bratton, 17, was also killed in the crash. She would have been a senior at North Cobb High School, according to her online obituary.
The investigation into the crash was still underway Thursday. No charges have been filed.
According to Cobb County police, Carroll was driving a 2014 Ford Escape northbound on Mars Hill Road when she was hit by the Corolla, which was southbound.
Carroll grew up in Powder Springs and was a 2012 graduate of Hillgrove High School before graduating from the University of Georgia in 2016, according to her online obituary. She loved teaching and had a passion for mission work, traveling as far away as Uganda. Her family has requested donations be made in her honor to a Cartersville-based group called "Simone's Kids," which works to provide education and care for children living in poverty.
>> Related: Two killed in head-on crash in Cobb County
The funeral for Carroll will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at McEachern Memorial United Methodist Church. Later that afternoon, a funeral will be held for Bratton at Winkenhofer Pine Ridge Funeral Home.
Bratton loved animals and planned to become a veterinarian, according to her family. The strong-willed teenager survived leukemia as a child and enjoyed spending time during the summer at Camp Sunshine, her online obituary stated.
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