'A very deep void in our hearts': Bryant High School mourns student killed in crash

The Paul W. Bryant High School community assembled Monday afternoon to remember the life of 17-year-old Madison Sims, a junior at the Cottondale school who died in a weekend automobile accident.

Bryant High School students, faculty, staff and Sims' family gathered at the Stampede baseball field to release balloons in her memory. Emotions ran high as students and family members held pink balloons and signs in honor of the late teen.

More: Bryant High student, R.C Hatch student identified as victims in crash after prom

"We stand Stampede strong and we stand representing for Madison," Bryant High Principal Lydia Edwards said during Monday's ceremony. "Madison was a friend and she leaves a very deep void in our hearts."

The principal said students, faculty and staff were all finding was to deal with their grief.

"We will push through. We will get through this. The road through bereavement will be hard and it's a difficult journey. But as you can see today, Tuscaloosa City (Schools) is standing strong with Paul W. Bryant (High) as Stampede Nation," Edwards said.

Mike Daria, superintendent of Tuscaloosa City Schools, attended the ceremony and paid his respects to the late Bryant student.

Tuscaloosa City School Superintendent Mike Daria was also in attendance at the ceremony to pay respects to the late Bryant student.

"To the family and friends of Madison, we just say that our prayers and thoughts will continue to come your way. We're here at this balloon release, where you can see an entire student body here to show their love for Madison and to grieve together," he said.

"This is certainly a sad time. A friend of all of these students is no longer here with us, tragically. So we just wanted the family to know that they're in our thoughts and prayers, and we are here to do anything we can do. And we certainly just ask that Tuscaloosa continues to keep these students and the families in their thoughts and prayers," Daria said.

Students comforted each other and shared memories of their late classmate.

Kingston Williams, a friend of Sims, described her as a sweet person and a good listener. Williams said the news of Sims' death has been tough for him and fellow students.

"I never had to deal with anything like this. This is the first time I've had to deal with somebody close to me and close in age pass (away) so unexpectedly like this. It's all hitting everybody at once. You know, it's a lot for everybody to take," Williams said.

Oscar Ford, Sims' grandfather, offered some words of comfort to the crowd. He told the students to be cautious, but also live life to fullest.

"I just want you to know young people, get it right. Be for real about life. You may be here today, but in the blinking of an eye, it can be all over," Ford said.

Ford described Sims as sweet and loving. He said he had a great relationship with his granddaughter.

"I'm going to miss her calls and her always teasing me," Ford said.

Sims and Samuel Brown Jr., 18, of R.C. Hatch High School in Uniontown, died in the crash early Saturday morning, according to the Perry County School District. Tuscaloosa police said the two-vehicle crash occurred around 1:50 a.m. at the intersection of Skyland Boulevard East and Interstate 20/59.

The crash involved a 2022 Tesla, occupied by the four teenagers, and a semi-truck. The Tesla was pinned underneath the truck’s trailer, according to police.

Two other teens who were in the Telsa with Sims and Brown were injured. A 17-year-old female from Marion had minor injuries and an 18-year-old female from Montgomery was taken to UAB Hospital in Birmingham with "serious and extensive injuries that, thankfully, don’t appear to be life-threatening at this time," according to Stephanie Taylor, a spokeswoman for the Tuscaloosa Police Department.

TPD’s Traffic Homicide Unit responded to the crash and is conducting an investigation.

The crash occurred hours after Bryant High's prom, which was held Friday night at the Tuscaloosa River Market on Jack Warner Parkway.

Ford said Sims was excited about attending the prom that evening and wanted to include him in the festivities leading up to the event.

"Madison was so happy on that day. She was so loving, so warm ... (she) even had the nerve to call her granddad," Ford said.

Ford said he believes that Sim's death holds a lesson for everyone.

"Madison's life, the way she lived it and then the way she ended up losing it was a teaching moment. It should teach these young people that you can have life, but if you mistreat life, life has a way of giving you some severe consequences. Because they're real. And that's just not for these young people, That's for us, too," Ford said.

Reach Jasmine Hollie at JHollie@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Family, students honor Bryant High student killed in crash after prom