SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Just days before the start of a new school year, Station Camp High School is mourning the loss of 15-year-old sophomore Kinsley Carter. Known for her kindness and her passion for softball, Carter's death has left a weight on the tight-knit community she was part of.
Kristy Everette, a mother of 5 whose daughter played softball at Station Camp, said the loss is hitting the community especially hard given the timing.
"You're starting a new school year as a sophomore you have so much to look forward to and people to be around and this is how their year is starting so very emotional," Everette said.
Everette said the bonds formed at Station Camp run deep.
"They all grew up together from elementary and graduated together so I know how that family in the athletic community is they're pretty tight," Everette said. "It just breaks my heart having five children that were involved in Station Camp getting that phone call it just breaks my heart."
Carter's aunt, Amy Huntley, said her niece was a ray of sunshine, a phenomenal softball player, and an encouraging teammate whose kindness left a lasting impact on everyone she knew.
Sumner County Schools confirmed Carter's death in a statement, calling her a valued member of the Station Camp softball team.
"Our hearts are with Kinsley's family, friends, classmates, teachers, and teammates during this incredibly difficult time," Sumner County Schools said.
Station Camp High School also released a statement.
"Kinsley was such a very special young lady who was loved by her teammates and coaches and she will truly be missed," Station Camp High School said.
Separately, the Hendersonville Police Department is investigating a serious traffic crash that occurred Sunday morning on Wyncrest Way. Neither police nor Carter's family have explicitly connected the two, but both are asking the public for doorbell and surveillance camera footage from the area, hoping the videos can help provide answers. A spokesperson with the Hendersonville Police Department said they hope to have more information next week.
Anyone with footage from the Wyncrest Way area is encouraged to contact the Hendersonville Police Department at (615) 822-1111 or Hendersonville Crime Stoppers at (615) 594-4113. Tips may also be submitted through the P3 Tips Mobile Application.
A GoFundMe has been established by Huntley to help Carter's parents, Brad and Angela Carter, with medical expenses and funeral arrangements. Huntley said the public should use only the official fund, warning that fraudulent accounts using Carter's image have already appeared.
"Please ignore any others as we have already seen people stealing her picture and making stories up attempting to scam people of their donations," Huntley said.
The fund can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/.../support-for-the-family-of...
Do you know something about this story, or do you have a story idea for us? The Hendersonville community's voice matters in coverage like this. Watch the full report above, and if you have surveillance or doorbell camera footage from the Wyncrest Way area that could help investigators, or if you have memories of Kinsley Carter you'd like to share, reach out directly to kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
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