Girl, 16, tragically killed while 'car surfing' when vehicle spins out of control

Police say the driver of the SUV, also 16, was speeding around a curve when Anna Hawkins may have been thrown from the roof of the vehicle



Hawkins was captain of the soccer team and a top student at her Dawsonville, Georgia high school

Parents and loved ones maintain Hawkins was inside the car at the time of the incident

A police investigation is underway to determine the exact scenario of Hawkins' death, though it has yet to yield a conclusion



A 16-year-old girl was killed while riding on the roof of a vehicle that spun out of control, according to an initial investigation by police.

Police say Anna Gabrielle Hawkins of Dawsonville, Georgia was 'car surfing' when the young driver took a turn too quickly and Hawkins was thrown from the roof and onto the concrete below.



The driver of the Suzuki Grand Vitara, also 16, was reportedly speeding down a curvy road when the tragedy occurred Monday sometime after 9pm.



Tragic: Anna Hawkins, 16, was fatally injured after an SUV she was 'car surfing' atop spun out of control. Hawkins was thrown onto the road where police say she died

'The vehicle was traveling south on Couch Road and the preliminary report indicates Miss Hawkins was "car surfing,"' Georgia State Trooper Mark Cox told the Dawson Advertiser . ‘The vehicle entered a right-hand curve too fast and the driver lost control. The vehicle traveled across the northbound lane along the shoulder, hit an embankment, then came back into the roadway, throwing Miss Hawkins off the roof. She hit the pavement and sustained substantial head injuries.’

Cox said Hawkins died at the scene, though she was transported to an area hospital.



Police say there is no indication alcohol was involved in the incident.



Searching for the cause: An police investigator marks the curvy path the SUV took before Hawkins was ejected. Findings will determine if the driver, also 16 and newly licensed, will face charges

Beloved: Hawkins was captain of the soccer team and a star student. 'She was the best of the best,' said coach Jed Lacey

They are, however, still speaking to the driver of the vehicle. The girl, described as a good friend of Hawkins’, was not seriously injured in the accident.

It is possible she will face charges.



‘She hadn't had her license very long, and it's still under investigation,’ he said. ‘But the law states you have to have six months' experience before you can transport anyone besides family.’



On Tuesday morning, the Georgia State Police Reconstruction Team was on the scene. Their incident report will be turned over to the Dawson County District Attorney’s office.

The findings will determine whether or not charges will be filed against the driver, who described herself to officers at the scene as Hawkins’ best friend.



‘I've heard of car surfing and have seen it in the movies,’ Cox said, ‘but in my 18 years of law enforcement, I've never seen anything like this.’



Car surfing is exactly what it sounds like. As someone drives, the surfer stands or sits atop the hood or on the roof as the vehicle flies down the road.



Just this month, a Littleton, Colorado man was badly injured while attempting the stunt. 20-year-old Jeremy Davis is in critical condition after he, too, fell from the car he was attempting to surf June 3.



At the site of Hawkins' death on Tuesday were the victim’s mother and other family members, including an aunt who told WSBTV she was shocked her niece would even attempt the dangerous stunt.



‘She was very, very smart. Her SAT scores were very high. She was probably going to get a full-ride scholarship to a college,’ Lynn Burn told the Atlanta station. ‘Anna was a beautiful child. She was at the top of her class. She was a star soccer player. She was voted most valuable player on her soccer team.’

Unbelievable: Hawkins, left, with her parents and sister Kati, right. Family was on the scene Tuesday and found it hard to believe she would choose to try the dangerous stunt

Sad: Hawkins, right, here with her sister Kati. The 16-year-old died while riding atop an SUV driven by a friend that spun out of control. The driver could face charges, but alcohol was not involved.

The head soccer coach at Dawson County High Jed Lacey had glowing things to say about the teen, as well. He named her team captain last year.



‘She's the greatest kid I've ever coached in my life,’ he said. ‘She was the heart and soul of our soccer team. She always had a smile on her face. You'd be proud to have her as your daughter. This is a real shocker. I'm in serious pain.’



Police, like Georgia State Trooper Steve Thompson hope this grievous event will keep other young people from making similar choices in the future.





Grieving: Hawkins' aunt, Lynn Burn, was in shock. 'Anna was a beautiful child. She was at the top of her class. She was a star soccer player. She was voted most valuable player on her soccer team.'

‘When I see it on YouTube, I cannot emphasize enough how dangerous this is. I beg the teenagers, please stay inside the vehicle and wear their seat belts,’ said Thompson.



Funeral arrangements are now being made as family and friends continue to make sense of the tragedy.



‘She was the best of the best,’ Lacey said.

Small community: Hawkins with her sister and father. Funeral arrangements are in the works as family and friends in the tight-knit Georgia town of Dawsonville begin to grieve













