CLARENDON COUNTY, SC (WIS) - Classes at Laurence Manning Academy in Clarendon County have been canceled for Thursday because teachers and students will be attending the funerals for three teenagers who died over the weekend in a terrible car crash.
As you can imagine, there were a lot of tears at the school on Monday. They're taking a break from their studies to surround the kids with love and help them get through this as best they can.
Troopers said the wreck happened around 7:00am on Old Georgetown Road, about three miles west of Manning. The car was headed south, but for unknown reasons the car went off the left side of the road, hit a tree and caught fire.
Cody Hall, 15, Cody Parnell, 17, and Jesse Parnell, 14, died in the wreck. The coroner said the Parnells were brothers. The boys were going hunting when the accident happened.
All three boys attended Laurence Manning Academy, the kind of school where everyone knows everyone -- a big family that now is heartbroken. Headmaster Spencer Jordan wasn't sure how he was going to break the news to his teachers or students. "It's just a terrible, terrible tragedy," said Jordan. "These young people, these are the heart of Laurence Manning, they exemplify all we are. Quite frankly, it was one of the most gut wrenching experiences that I've ever had."
There were counselors on hand Monday to help students and staff with their grieving. First thing Monday morning, Jordan addressed a room full of grief counselors and an even bigger room of teachers who tried to hold back their tears.
Libby Anderson watched each of the boys grow up while teaching them. "It's very difficult because you're in a counselor situation and at the same time you're very attached. I feel like these are my children," said Anderson.
"Cody Hall came to my house everyday before the game on Friday. He plays with my boys who were on team, just absolutely wonderful young man," Anderson said. "Cody Parnell and Jesse always had smiles on their faces, Jesse Parnell would sneak down to my room and look through the window and wave and would come in an get a hug"
Libby and other educators at Laurence Manning will try to remain strong as they try to help their students deal with this unexplainable loss. "We don't have answers for tragedy like this, we just have the opportunity to lean on one another and love each other," said Libby.
Jordan says it is because Laurence Manning is a Christian school that they know what they need to do. He says they'll lean on their faith to get through a tough lesson on grief and heartache. "We will rise from this," he said. "It will take some time and it's going to hurt but there's no doubt in my mind at the end of the day, we will lean on Christ and do the right thing."
School at Laurence Manning is canceled on Thursday because funerals for Cody and Jesse Parnell will be held at 11:00am that day. Visitation will be Wednesday night from 6:00-8:00pm.
Bullock Funeral Home in Sumter is handling the funeral arrangements for Cody Hall. The viewing is on Wednesday from 3:00pm-6:00pm at the funeral home. The funeral will be Thursday at 4:00pm at Laurence Manning Academy. The burial will be after the service at Evergreen Cemetery in Summerton.
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Headmaster Spencer Jordan talks with the staff at Laurence Manning Academy Monday morning (Source: Jillian Capobianco)
Cody Hall (Source: Facebook)
Cody and Jesse Parnell (Source: Facebook)
