Funeral On Tuesday For Creekview Student Killed In Crash

CANTON, GA — A funeral service will be held on Tuesday so friends and family members can bid farewell to a Creekview High School student who died in an accident in east Cherokee County.

Visitation for Stephen "Stevie" Christopher Smith will be held 2-8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3 at Canton Funeral Home at 10655 East Cherokee Drive. The funeral service for the Creekview senior will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4 at Revolution Church at 125 Union Hill Trail in Canton.

Smith died of his injuries sustained in the crash around 2 p.m. Nov. 27 when a vehicle traveling on Old Orange Mill Road near. Ga 20 veered off the road and crashed into a tree, the Cherokee Sheriff's Office said. Smith, the front seat passenger, was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision. The accident also injured classmate and passenger Chase Burr, 17, Yann "Fred" Engamba, the driver of the vehicle, and a 15-year-old passenger.

The Cherokee Sheriff's Office on Thursday arrested and charged Engamba, 17, vehicular homicide in the first degree, serious injury by vehicle, reckless driving and failure to maintain lane. He was booked into the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center and was released after posting bond.

Burr remains hospitalized at WellStar Kennestone Hospital while Engamba and a 15-year-old passenger were treated and released from the facility.

According to Smith's obituary, he excelled at Creekview and received many honors. An "avid gamer," Smith also loved cars and music and hoped to become an engineer. He was a member of the Creekview Youth Track and Field team and was an "excellent" long and triple jumper. Smith was also a member of Major Impact Track and Field and Creekview High School Track and Field team.

Smith is survived by parents, Stephen and Barbara Meeks Smith; sisters, Stephanie, Kayla and Natalie Smith; grandmother, Mildred Smith; aunts, Bonita and Wandalyn Smith; uncles Paul Meeks, Darrell and Greg Summers and Tischen Franklin; cousins, Dashaun Singleton, Ebony and Justin Isaac, Malik and Zyndell Meeks and numerous others. His best friend was Chase Burr, the obit states.

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Tuesday's fatal crash has rallied the community to assist the families of Smith and Burr, as two GoFundMe pages have been created to help pay for expenses related to funeral services and medical treatments. As of Saturday morning, the Stevie Smith Memorial Fund has raised more than $17,000 while the Burr Family Fund page has received more than $7,000 in donations.

A meal train has also been created to help keep the Burr family well nourished while they focus on the 17-year-old student's recovery. Details about the logistics of that operation can be found here.
You can make visit the GoFundMe page for Stevie Smith and Chase Burr to consider making donations.

Image via Michelle Thomas Photography