Grants Pass, Ore. — Students are mourning after a fellow student passed away Friday morning.
“I was kind of shocked,” said a Grants Pass High School student.
The Grants Pass Department of Public Safety got a call just before 7 a.m. on Friday morning about a pedestrian versus vehicle on Redwood Avenue, near Wineteer Lane.
“It’s not easy,” said another Grants Pass High School student.
The victim suffered severe injuries and was shortly after taken to Three Rivers Medical Center. The victim was later identified as Malachi Batty by Grants Pass High School principal. Batty was a sophomore at the high school.
“We got a call just shortly before 7 o’ clock of a vehicle versus pedestrian. Crossed the oncoming lane, jumped the curb, struck the pedestrian. Actually drove him through the intersection onto the other side of Wineteer Lane, ” said Lt. Dennis Ward, Grants Pass Department of Public Safety.
He was waiting for the school bus to arrive when he was hit. Batty later died from his injuries at the hospital.
The driver was identified as 21-year-old Christopher Faibish. Faibish is in custody right now. He is charged with criminally negligent homicide and possession of a controlled substance – heroin.
A hard hit for a school that lost two students just last year.
“We’ve had so much loss these past two years, these losses can hit us pretty hard,” said a Grants Pass High School student.
“Tell your kids you love them. Hold them close to you. Life is fragile,” said principal Ryan Thompson.
The principal of Grants Pass High School said after what happened Friday morning, students suggested they should have a candlelight vigil to help with closure. That vigil will took Friday evening at the Grants Pass High School football field at the north end zone steps.
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