White County students start the school year with hard lessons following sudden loss

WHITE COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — A 13-year-old boy’s friends have had to start the school year without him.

“Was he mischievous? Yeah, a little bit,” family friend Ken Hatfield said. “But, I mean, that’s just a middle school child. He was fantastic. He had a big, big heart for all of his friends. He was always looking out for them.”

Aidan Linville died this weekend after a van that he was traveling in was hit by another car. He and his friends were on the way home from an end-of-summer church field trip — and it ended in tragedy.

“God does it for a reason and that’s what we have to focus on,” Hatfield said. “There’s a reason that happened.”

“We’re just devastated. He’s a very loving child — a very innocent child,” Hatfield added. “He would just brighten up the room by walking in.”

Friends said that the van was from Doyle Church of the Nazarene. They were coming back from Dollywood when a car allegedly ran through a stop light in Crossville. They were only about thirty miles from home.

“He was pretty close to home,” Hatfield added. “From what I understand, he rode every ride he could possibly ride. It was his first time to Dollywood.”

Linville went to White County Middle School and was a popular student. It’s the beginning of a new school year, and these students are already having to learn hard life lessons. A counselor was on campus Monday.

A few other people in that van have minor injuries. News 2 has learned that the other driver wasn’t hurt.

“There [were] a few children that were very upset about it,” Hatfield said. “We took care of that…his father is still dealing with it. They’re still dealing with the ‘I don’t know’s right now.”

Funeral arrangements for Linville were announced on Thursday. A celebration of life will be held at White County High School on August 25 at 2 p.m. Visitation will begin at 12 p.m. according to a Facebook post from Oak Lawn Funeral Home and Memorial Cemetery. To honor him, visitors are encouraged to wear something blue or something depicting a Marvel character.

“Aidan’s vibrant spirit touched the lives of everyone he met. He was a devoted son, nephew, brother, and friend who will be deeply missed by all who knew him,” Linville’s obituary reads, in part. “His passing leaves a void that can never be filled, but his memory will live on in the hearts of those who knew him.

If you want to help out, you can donate to this GoFundMe. There is also an Aidan Linville Memorial Fund set up at First National Bank in Sparta, which the famly encourages donations to in lieu of flowers.

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