LIBERTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Casey County community is mourning the loss of two teenagers killed days apart in separate accidents.
17-year-old Jordan Watson was on his way home after visiting his fiancee in Danville on Nov. 2 when a car pulled up in front of his motorcycle and he crashed.
“His heart was gold,” said his aunt Karen Black. “He was just so full of life. He had a lilt in his step and a smile on his face all the time and if you met him, you loved him.”
“He was the best big brother. He was always there for you if you needed him,” said his sister Kalisa Watson.
Family members describe Watson as a family man and animal lover. He was an AF JROTC cadet and a senior at Casey County High School.
Days later, a separate accident claimed the life of a 15-year-old Brooklyn Clements.
Clements and a friend were driving an ATV on Highway 551 Thursday night when they lost control, the ATV flipped and they were ejected from their seats, according to the Casey County coroner.
The friend, also 15 years old, was airlifted to the hospital with injuries. She is expected to recover.
“[Clements] was very involved in athletics,” said Casey County Schools Superintendent Barry Lee. “Just a sweet young lady. [She had] a large circle of friends and [was] just a student that many enjoyed being around.”
Clements was a member of the volleyball team, soccer team and softball team at the high school, according to family. They said she loved fishing and being with her friends.
Lee said it’s been a difficult week for everyone in the district.
“As a school system, you deal with these things, but not back to back like this. It’s been tough,” he said. “As adults we try to be strong for our students and we have been, but when you walk through a school system and you see your teachers hurting and your students hurting, it’s been tough.”
The loss is felt even beyond the school district.
City of Liberty Mayor Steven Brown said in a small town, tight-knit community like theirs, everyone is impacted by a tragedy like the one they’ve experienced this week.
“It’s such a shock to the system,” Brown said. “These young people have so much potential and they have so much life in front of them and to see it taken away at such a young age is just tragic.”
Brown said the whole community is hurting because even if they didn’t know Watson or Clements personally, many of them watched the teens grow up in town.
“We just want [the families] to know that our whole town is grieving with them,” Brown said.
“Just hug your loved ones tight every night because tomorrow is not guaranteed,” Black said.
The funeral service for Jordan Watson will be held Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. at Casey County High School.
The funeral service for Brooklyn Clements will be held Nov. 9 at 5 p.m. at Casey County High School.
