St. Clair County Coroner Dennis Russell said Casey Hare, 16, died of head trauma at about 9:27 p.m. on Alabama 174 near Sportsman Lake Road.
The Alabama State Troopers Office, Birmingham Post, worked the accident and said Hare was driving a 1996 Nissan Altima.
“His Nissan crossed the oncoming lane of traffic, left the roadway and struck a tree then went down an embankment and the car caught fire,” Russell said.
Russell said Hare was wearing a seatbelt. No one else was in the vehicle.
Hare was a sophomore at St. Clair County High School in Odenville. SCCCHS Principal Brian Terry said counselors were at the school Tuesday to help students deal with the death of a fellow student.
“Casey was quite and gentle-spirited,” Terry said. “He was always smiling. Many times, you never knew he was in the building. He was an excellent student, never tardy and loved by faculty and students.
“It’s just a tragedy. Our prayers are with his family. Anything we can do for the family, we are going to try and do. It’s a shame this happened. It’s a shame when any kid dies.”
Odenville Middle School Principal Debra Carroll was Hare’s principal four years.
“Casey was just a wonderful young man,” Carroll said. “He had a really cute sense of humor and a mischievous little smile. He always looked like he was up to something, but he never was. He was a great kid and a wonderful student. We are all going to miss him because he was just an absolute ray of sunshine.”
The accident is still under investigation by the Alabama State Trooper’s Office.
Contact Gary Hanner at ghanner@thestclairtimes.com, or Elsie Hodnett at ehodnett@dailyhome.com.
