13 Eastern Wake schools will dismiss early Friday due to funeral procession for officer
Thirteen eastern Wake County schools will dismiss three hours early on Friday due to the large funeral procession expected for a Knightdale police officer who was killed in the line of duty.
The Wake County school system said the funeral procession for Knightdale Officer Ryan Hayworth will affect traffic around those 13 schools during their normal dismissal time. Some roads will be closed, and other areas will be difficult to access once the funeral procession begins.
Wake said the schools will dismiss early “to avoid long carpool delays and extremely late bus runs.” School buses will provide transportation home for students who ride by bus and parents will be able to pick up their children for rides out as usual.
School staff will stay with students at school until arrangements have been made for each child to get home safely.
The early dismissal announcement went out around 7:40 p.m. The district said it learned of the procession Thursday afternoon.
“We apologize for the late notice,” the district said. “Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.”
The schools being dismissed early are:
▪ Carver Elementary
▪ East Wake High
▪ Forestville Elementary
▪ Knightdale Elementary
▪ Knightdale High
▪ Lake Myra Elementary
▪ Lockhart Elementary
▪ Neuse River Middle
▪ Wakelon Elementary
▪ Wendell Elementary
▪ Wendell Middle
▪ Zebulon Middle
▪ Zebulon Elementary
Many mourn officer’s death
Hayworth, 23, died when a driver crashed into two stationary police cars on Interstate 540 early Sunday morning, The News & Observer previously reported.
Knightdale police officers were investigating a single-car crash on I-540 just after 2:30 a.m. when a 2011 Mercedes-Benz hit one of their cars from behind, knocking it into the other, according to an N.C. State Highway Patrol news release.
Hundreds of people gathered in Knightdale on Wednesday night to remember Hayworth, The N&O reported.
