‘Missed tremendously:’ Family and friends pack service for 14-year-old killed in Bartow County crash

A 14-year-old who died with his parents, younger brother, and a student in a car crash will be laid to rest on Monday.

Brandon Crawford died on May 19 in a chain-reaction crash on Interstate 75.

The crash also killed his parents, Erin and Dakarai Mason, his 6-year-old brother Titus, and 21-year-old Kennesaw State student Aimee Odom.

On Monday family and friends laid Brandon Crawford to rest with a service at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Cartersville.

Funeral arrangements have not been released for his parents and brother. Odom’s family buried her on Friday.

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Crawford attended Cass High School, where he was a freshman on the football team and part of the international studies magnet program.

“He was an absolute joy to be around,” CHS Counselor Andrew Griffin said. “He was such a benefit and blessing to our school.”

Channel 2′s Audrey Washington was at the church Monday, where she talked to Brandon’s football coach, Steve Gates.

“Brandon Crawford was the kid that ran from the main building to the field house every day for practice because he loved it,” Coach Steve Gates said. “He was loved by his teammates just for his eagerness to learn football and do everything right on and off the field. He left us with four A’s in his four classes. He was the perfect Colonel.”

Gates said Crawford is going to be missed tremendously.

“He loved football,” Gates said. “He loved being around his teammates. I wish there were more B-Crawfords in (the world) as we called him.”

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Investigators said the Mason family’s Kia van was traveling northbound on I-75 when it suddenly crossed the center median. That set off the chain-reaction crash with at least two other vehicles.

Crawford, his parents and Odom died at the scene. Titus Mason died at the hospital days later and Noah Mason was released from the hospital on Friday.

Tori Lawson, who was driving to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to be with her 2-year-old son, was critically injured in the crash.

On Monday, the Masons’ youngest son, Noah, was discharged from the hospital.

In a GoFundMe post, the boys’ grandmother wrote in part:

“We are overjoyed that our sweet Noah is on his way to his new home. He still has a ways to go. But the outlook is great,” she wrote. “We shall never completely heal from the loss of his family and ours. But God blessed us with a five-year-old that will never allow us to slow down or wallow in our sadness.”

The donations from the GoFundMe will pay for Noah’s future medical expenses and funeral costs for his parents and brothers. You can donate here.

The crash is still under investigation.

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