Note: we are republishing this story which originally made the news in September 2018.

In a tragic turn of events that has shaken the Panola County community, a young life was lost in a school bus crash. The Mississippi Highway Patrol has confirmed that the collision occurred at approximately 7:15 a.m. on Wednesday morning when a driver collided with a South Panola School bus. The victim has been identified as Katelyn Ray, according to family members.

A yellow school bus for illustrative purposes, Photo Credit: ABC24 Memphis/Youtube

The incident unfolded as Ray’s car rear-ended the back of a South Panola School bus on Highway 15 near Highway 6 in Panola County. This heartbreaking turn of events occurred while Ray was on her way to pick up her older sister from work. The last conversation between Katelyn and her mother, Shelia Ray, was a simple exchange of love and familial affection, a moment that would tragically become their final farewell.

Shelia Ray, recounting the sequence of events, expressed her disbelief at the subsequent turn of events. The family’s attempts to reach Katelyn were met with an eerie silence, prompting growing concern. The agonizing wait ended with a phone call from the highway patrol, delivering the devastating news of a severe car accident involving Katelyn.