Cruz Evatt Ellenburg was getting through his sophomore year at Pickens High School and playing football when his life was cut short in a UTV crash Sunday. The 16-year-old Marietta resident died after the vehicle went off the roadway on private property along Dalton Road in Pickens County and rolled over. The crash happened shortly before 5 p.m. Sept. 20.
The Pickens County Coroner’s Office identified Ellenburg as the driver. Officials said he was unrestrained when the UTV left the roadway and overturned. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident is being investigated by the coroner’s office and the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office.
News of Ellenburg’s death hit Pickens High hard. He was a 10th-grade student and a member of the school’s football program. The school district said counselors and additional support personnel were available at the school to help students and staff dealing with the loss.
Ellenburg had played quarterback during his freshman season and was playing wide receiver this year. Coaches remembered him as a committed player and teammate, but they also talked about the person he was away from the field. His teachers described him as a student who made an impression through simple, everyday interactions.
Pickens High football coach James Reynolds called Ellenburg a dedicated player, teammate and friend. He said the team would miss his smile, energy and talent. Another coach remembered the toughness Ellenburg showed as a freshman quarterback and the ability he displayed after moving to receiver.
There were also the smaller memories. One Pickens High teacher recalled that Ellenburg routinely returned farewells at the end of class. He would say goodbye or tell teachers he would see them tomorrow. Those brief exchanges were part of his normal school routine, and they are now among the memories being shared by people who knew him.
The School District of Pickens County said Ellenburg’s death had affected his family, classmates, friends and the wider Pickens High community. School officials asked families to keep his loved ones in their thoughts and said the district would not release more information about the crash out of respect for the family.
Investigators have not said what caused the UTV to leave the roadway. A forensic autopsy will be scheduled, while the Pickens County Coroner’s Office and Sheriff’s Office continue examining the circumstances of the crash. No further details about the accident have been released by authorities.
For a school that knew Ellenburg as more than a name in a report, the loss is being felt in classrooms, hallways and on the football field. His teammates, teachers and classmates are now left with the memories of a 16-year-old whose school year ended far too suddenly.
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