Paulding County elementary school teacher killed in car wreck

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A Paulding County teacher was killed in a car wreck while heading to school Tuesday morning. The teacher has been identified as 32-year-old Emily Howell. She taught fourth grade at Russom Elementary School.

"Ms. Emily Howell was a dynamic young fourth-grade teacher who was loved by her colleagues and the students she taught," the school said in a statement. "Her tragic passing has had a profound effect on the entire Russom Elementary School family."

The crash happened around 7 a.m. Tuesday along Dallas Acworth Highway near Frey Road. The Paulding County Sheriff's Office said the driver of a Jeep, identified as Joshua Powell, 31, of Jasper, crossed the center line crashing head-on into the Ford Mustang driven by Howell.

Howell died at the scene. Powell was taken to Kennestone Hospital.

A Georgia State Patrol Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team will be conducting a follow-up investigation of the crash.

Charges were pending as of Tuesday evening.

Howell began working at Russom Elementary in 2015.

The full statement from Paulding County Schools reads: