A high school student in Arlington, Va., died Friday after a collision and another teenager is charged with his death, according to authorities.
The victim, Braylon Meade, was a senior at Washington-Liberty High School, according to an email from campus.
Officers responded to reports of a two-vehicle collision in the Old Dominion Drive area at the Williamsburg Boulevard intersection in the Rock Spring neighborhood around 12:30 a.m. Friday, Arlington County Police said in a statement.
At the scene, officers found Meade’s sedan and the other driver’s SUV. The suspect’s car was empty and on fire, which was later put out by rescue personnel.
According to police, Meade was attempting to make a U-turn on Old Dominion Drive when the other driver, a speeding teenager, struck him.
Authorities believe the other driver, who is now facing charges of drink driving and manslaughter, had been drinking. His identity was not immediately released.
Meade was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.
In his 29 years as a basketball coach, Robert Dobson told our sister network NBC Washington that hearing that one of his students had died was one of the hardest moments of his life. He had coached Meade for four years.
“Words aren’t enough to explain how broken I am,” Dobson said. “I fell to the ground and my wife asked me, ‘What’s wrong?’ And I couldn’t even tell him.”
Dobson hopes other people will think twice about driving after drinking.
“Please don’t drive like that… it breaks someone’s heart when that happens. My heart hurts. It’s broken,” she said.
In an email to the school community, Principal Tony Hall shared the news of Meade’s death and resources for bereaved students.
“Braylon was a beloved member of the Washington-Liberty family, impacting the lives of many of our students and staff members over the years,” Hall wrote. “Braylon was a scholar and an athlete, playing basketball and soccer for our school. We all feel the loss of him deeply.”
Hundreds of people attended a wake for the teenager Sunday at the high school hosted by Meade’s loved ones.
The school announced that it will make counseling services available to students on Monday.
