Sunday, a Southside High School student, Stone Prechtl, passed away as a result of injuries from a car accident on N.C. Hwy 33 West on the county line between Pitt and Beaufort counties.

In a time of tragedy, it is really hard for those close to the deceased to carry on and life doesn’t feel the same. For how long? Well, that depends on the person. When one loses someone they love or someone they are close with, there are many emotions that person may feel — confusion, regret, sadness, depression, anger and many more emotions that person may not understand or be able to explain.

However, in the wake of the death of Prechtl and the feelings of classmates, friends and even faculty, in some cases, that may surface, Beaufort County Schools was very proactive in providing counselors that were available for students and faculty to talk about their feelings.

Monday, BCS dispersed a team of grief counselors through its Office of Student Services giving students and faculty access to professionals, who are trained to encourage open discussion and students sharing their feelings. According to Nicole Howard, director of Student Services, the counselors will be available as long as students at the school need them. It is good to know that the BCS system is proactive in providing support to its students and faculty in the event of a tragedy. It is hard to cope with events that happen like the death of Prechtl, but it is comforting to know the students receive support from the school and county office.

Much like another late SHS student, Sarah Edwards, who was killed in a car accident as a result of texting behind the wheel, students can learn a valuable lesson in regard to safety when driving a vehicle. Texting and driving, driving excessively fast and any other potentially dangerous behavior when behind the wheel of a vehicle could cost a student, or adult, for that matter, his or her life.