Ella Grace Jenkins, an 18-year-old from Gray, Georgia, is being remembered after she was killed in a three-vehicle crash in Laurens County on September, 2026. Jenkins was a freshman at Brewton-Parker Christian University and a member of the Lady Barons softball team. Her death has brought grief to her family, former classmates, teammates, coaches, and the university community, where she had only recently begun her college journey.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, the crash happened around 8:30 p.m. at the intersection of Georgia Highway 31 and Springhaven Road. Investigators said a 2020 Chevrolet Colorado failed to stop at the intersection and struck a flatbed trailer being pulled by a 1995 Peterbilt 379. The impact caused the pickup to rotate into the southbound lane, where it struck a 2015 Chevrolet Camaro. Jenkins was riding in the front passenger seat of the Colorado and was ejected in the collision, suffering fatal injuries.
Before beginning her college career, Jenkins was a recent graduate of Jones County High School, where she was part of the school’s softball community. Her former school remembered her as a classmate, softball teammate, and friend, emphasizing the lasting connection she had with the Greyhound community. For those who knew her through school and sports, memories of Jenkins are tied to the friendships she formed, the time she spent on the softball field, and the years she shared with classmates and teammates.
At Brewton-Parker Christian University, Jenkins had become part of the Lady Barons softball program as a freshman. Following her death, the university said her loss was deeply felt across campus and asked students, faculty, friends, teammates, and others to keep her family in their thoughts and prayers. The university’s response reflected how quickly Jenkins had become part of a new community while beginning what should have been many more years of college, friendships, athletics, and personal growth.
Ella Jenkins’ death is a heartbreaking loss for a young woman whose life was still unfolding. Her family and loved ones are now left with memories of her as a daughter, friend, student, teammate, and recent college freshman, while two communities mourn the future she will no longer have the opportunity to experience. As the Georgia State Patrol continues its investigation into the crash, Jenkins’ memory remains with the people who knew and loved her and with the softball communities in Gray and at Brewton-Parker that will continue to remember her.
