SCOTT COUNTY (WVLT) – Four members of the Scott High School Cheerleading team are among the five people dead following a two vehicle wreck Friday night near Huntsville.

Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers said Shirley “Nikki” Hughett, 16 was driving on US HWY 27 when she lost control of her Chevrolet Tracker on the wet road, just before 12:00 AM. The vehicle flipped on its side, crossed the center lane and slammed into an oncoming car before catching on fire.

Hughett and three friends from the cheerleading team squad were in the vehicle at the time of the wreck. They were Scarlette “Aleasha” Hill, 17, Jamie Hill, 15 and Asheley Mason, 15. Friday night was senior night according to the school and all four teens cheered on the field in the Highlanders game against Anderson County. After the game, they attended a friend’s party.

"They weren't just my cheerleaders, they were more like family to me," said Cynthia Reynolds, the Scott High School Cheerleading coach. “I've tried to rest a couple times today, but as soon as I close my eyes, I see them cheering last night. Their beautiful faces and they are laughing and giggling."

Hughett and both Hill sisters died on the scene. Mason was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in critical condition. She passed away Saturday evening.

All four of the people riding in the Ford Taurus the teens slammed into after flipping over were from Fentress County. The driver, Malcum King Jr., 49, Miranda King, 22 and Aiden Wilson, 11 months old were all injured. Jeweline King, 49 and Miranda’s unborn child were killed. She was 33 weeks into her pregnancy.

"It's tough for the community and it involved so many people,” said Pastor Dudley Harness of the Byrges Creek Baptist Church in Huntsville. “It’s just a great tragedy and you know it’s got the community really upset.”

Scott High School Principal Bill Hall said that losing four students is the largest tragedy the school has ever experienced.

"We just want people to know that these girls were extremely good girls,” said Hall. “They were a pleasure to have in school, respectful, and full of life."

THP investigators do not believe drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash. The cause is still under investigation.

According to the Tennessee Department of Safety, drivers under the age of 17 are issued intermediate restricted graduated licenses for 12 months. During that time, the driver may only ride with one other passenger under the age of 21 unless they are a sibling and are traveling to or from a school event. Drivers under 17 are also restricted from driving between 11:00 PM and 6 AM unless they are with a parent and traveling to or from school, a school event or work.

"It's just too hard to take in," said Reynolds. “As much as I'm hurting right now for these girls, I know their families are hurting worse then I am."

Funeral arrangements for the five victims have not yet been finalized, but Hughett and the Hill sisters plans will be handled by the Four Oakes Funeral Home in Huntsville.

Feel free to share your thoughts and prayers for the families involved on our web channel.

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HUNTSVILLE, Tenn (WVLT/AP) -- A fifth person has passed away following a two vehicle crash in Scott County.

University of Tennessee Medical Center officials confirm Asheley Mason, 15 of Huntsville died Saturday evening in the hospital. She was thrown from the vehicle just before it erupted in flames on Friday.

Every person inside the SUV she was traveling in has passed away
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PREVIOUS STORY:

HUNTSVILLE, Tenn (WVLT/AP) -- Four people, including three teenage girls in the same car, were killed in a fiery crash on Highway 27 in Scott County just before midnight Friday night.

THP spokesperson Laura McPherson says weather conditions are likely to be a factor. She says the roads were wet and there was fog in the area.

The accident happened on Hwy. 27 between Robbins and Helenwood, according to McPherson.

The SUV hydroplaned on a curve on the two-lane highway late Friday night, flipped on its side and crossed the center lane, slamming into an oncoming Ford Taurus, Tennessee Highway Patrol spokeswoman Laura McPherson said. The SUV erupted into flames.

One teenager was ejected, three others died in the crash or the fire which consumed the vehicle after the accident.

The teen who was ejected was airlifted to UT Medical Center. At last check, troopers say she was in critical condition.

A fourth person, who was a passenger in the other vehicle, died, and another passenger in that vehicle lost her pregnancy as a result of the crash.

The four teenagers traveling in the SUV were members of the Scott High School cheerleading squad in Scott County, friends tell Volunteer TV's Mike McCarthy.

Scott High School cheerleaders Nikki Hughett, 16, and sisters Aleasha, 17, and Jamie Hill, 15, died in the crash. Cheerleader Ashley Mason was last listed in critical condition at UT Medical Center.

Jeweline Ledbetter King , 49, a passenger in the Ford Taurus, was also killed. A 22-year-old pregnant woman, Miranda King, was sitting in the back seat and lost her unborn child from injuries in the crash. The car's driver, 22-year-old Malcum King, and a 10-month-old child, Aiden Wilson, also were injured and taken to a hospital. Their conditions are not known.

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