GhLinks Media
Natalie Touchstone, an 11-year-old girl who was homecoming queen at Glade Elementary died of injuries she suffered in a crash of an ATV that she and her cousin were riding near the Clara Community of Wayne County last week.
Natalie Touchstone, the daughter of Joel and Christl Touchstone, died at USA Health University Hospital in Mobile, Ala., and her cousin Randi Kate Roberson — the 12-year-old daughter of Kyle and Katie Roberson — has undergone at least two surgeries and reportedly remains in stable condition there.
The young girls were on an ATV that was struck by a vehicle at approximately 5:30 p.m. Wednesday on Ceamon Pittman Road, just outside of Clara, according to reports from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department.
They were transported to Wayne General Hospital to be stabilized for transfer to the facility in Mobile.
Natalie had just won numerous honors at Glade Elementary, where her mother is a kindergarten teacher, and she was preparing to be a seventh-grader at Northeast Jones Middle School, where she had made the cross-country team.
Her peers elected her homecoming queen this year. Randi Kate goes to Wayne Academy.
“Natalie was a beautiful young girl,” Principal Sharla Hodge said. “She was well loved by the staff and students. She was a strong Christian that shared daily Bible verses with her friends.
“I never saw her without a smile on her face,” Hodge said, adding that she pulled her first tooth, “always looking for the good in others and every situation.”
It was the third death that has directly affected the Glade Elementary family this year, Hodge added.
Facebook was flooded with messages and updates about the condition of the girls and to their families.
A GoFundMe account that was set up by Gracee Shaw had raised almost $30,000 for the families of the girls for expenses.
The two unidentified people in the vehicle also had non-life-threatening injuries, according to reports, but no details were available from the WCSD.
Many of the people posting on Facebook also asked for prayers for them, too.
One of the most poignant tributes to Natalie was posted by family friend Nikki Garcia, who recalled a conversation they had about Jesus a couple of years ago.
Garcia wrote about the young girl’s grasp of the gospel “and explained back to me how salvation has been made available to all those who believe. She was so smart … so sweet … so certain.”
