Here’s who will lead River Bluff into new school year after principal’s Hawaii car wreck

Bristow Marchant
·2 min read
The family of River Bluff High School Principal Jacob Smith on a GoFundMe page set up to raise money for the family after a car crash while on vacation in Hawaii left three injured.

River Bluff High School will have new leadership when the new school year begins, at least temporarily.

Former principal Luke Clamp will take over the Lexington high school on an interim basis as the family of Principal Jacob Smith continues to recover from a car wreck over the summer, the Lexington 1 school district said in an email to River Bluff faculty and parents.

Clamp, now the district’s executive director of secondary schools, began the job Monday.

“Having founded River Bluff High as principal and worked closely with many of the leaders and staff members, Dr. Clamp brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the River Bluff community during this time,” the district email said. “He will serve until Mr. Smith is able to return to his post as principal.”

Smith’s daughter recently left a Hawaii hospital more than two weeks after a car wreck while on vacation left her and her family injured.

Bekah Smith has arrived at an Atlanta-area physical rehabilitation center, her family shared in a post on Bekah’s Caring Bridge page over the weekend.

A rising college sophomore, Bekah was transferred from the Honolulu ICU where she had been recuperating from the accident since June 28. A report by the Hawaii County Police Department said the family had been driving on the Big Island of Hawaii when their car hydroplaned, hit another car and crashed into a lava wall.

Her father and brother Banks were treated locally in Hilo, but Bekah had to be flown to Honolulu for more specialized treatment.

She had a successful surgery July 2 to repair injuries from the wreck and was finally deemed stable enough to be flown back to the continental United States.

“Now that we are closer to home, we look forward to hugging necks and seeing our people,” Bekah’s mother, Chrystal Smith, wrote on Caring Bridge. “If you would like to visit, please reach out to Jacob or I and we would love to coordinate a day and time. Seeing loved ones is key to Bekah’s full recovery and all of our emotional well being. We need our people more than ever right now.”

A GoFundMe campaign to support the Smith family’s recovery has raised more than $50,000 as of Monday.