COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) -
Tragedy has struck two families after a fatal car accident resulted in the death of one teenage and landed another in jail.
Hannah Gilmer, a rising senior at Northside High School, died late Friday night after her boyfriend lost control of the car.
The odds were stacked against the young couple as they drove down County Line Road. According to the police report, 17-year-old Clayton Qualls was under the influence of alcohol when he lost control of his girlfriend's 2006 Toyota Scion.
Clayton survived the accident but his girlfriend, 16-year-old Hannah Gilmer, did not.
The single car accident happened shortly after 11 o'clock Friday night. Clayton and Hannah were just passing Randall Wood Drive when Clayton lost control.
The car began to spin out, slamming into an embankment; it then flipped several times, mowed down a wooden fence and collided with a tree before resting upside down. Hannah was ejected from the car as it flipped.
The couple was taken to the Medical Center where, according to Muscogee County Coroner Bill Thrower, Hannah died from traumatic internal injuries around one in the morning.
According to the accident report, neither Hannah nor Clayton were wearing a seat belt.
Hours after the fatal accident Hannah's Facebook page was flooded with condolences from family and friends; many calling her beautiful and others saying her being gone is surreal.
Hannah's boyfriend Clayton Qualls, is being charged with numerous traffic charges, including 1st degree vehicular homicide, DUI, and improper lane change.
Qualls is being held in the Muscogee County Jail. He was in Recorder's Court Monday morning where his bond was set at a little more than $22,000.
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16-year-old Hannah Gilmer (Source: Facebook)
Clayton Qualls, 17, was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide and DUI. (Source: Columbus Police Department)
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