Bridge renamed along I-16 to honor memory of 5 GSU nursing students

BRYAN COUNTY, GA (WTOC) - Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed a resolution Tuesday to honor the memory of five Georgia Southern University nursing students killed in April of 2015.

The bridge at U.S. 280 that goes over I-16 in Bryan County will now be known as the Georgia Southern Nursing Angels Memorial Bridge.

Caitlyn Baggett, Morgan Bass, Emily Clark, Abbie DeLoach, and Catherine McKay Pittman were killed in a crash on I-16 when they were on their way to Savannah for a nursing clinical rotation.

The Abbie DeLoach Foundation was created after the tragedy and has raised money for nursing scholarships and educational nurse travel programs.

“We established the foundation, we were able to give 24 scholarships this year," said Jimmy DeLoach, Abbie’s father. "And so I know there are 24 people whose lives have been touched. And each of the other families reaching out in different ways, through buildings and contributions in different areas. And so even though tragically something happened, at least there’s a spin and it’s going in the right direction.”

Representatives of the foundation were at the resolution signing.

The bridge is also named in honor of Chatham County Sheriff’s Deputy Corporal Rick Hall.

Hall was killed in a crash in Bryan County in 2015. He served as a Marine before dedicating 14 years to protecting and serving the people of Chatham County with the Sheriff’s Office.

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