By Becky Long
Publisher
Kaden Jahu Charles Metcalf
An 18-year-old Clay County resident is being remembered fondly after he died as a result of an Aug. 20 car crash in Rancho Bernardo, Calif.
Kaden Jahu Charles Metcalf, 18, was killed along with a passenger and fellow sailor, Vaughn Thompson, 21, when Metcalf’s Mercedes struck a tree along Bernado Heights Park in the early hours of Friday morning, according to a report from NBC San Diego.
Metcalf enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17 after graduating from Hayesville High School in 2020. He was an Airman Apprentice by 18.
The school offered their condolences on their Facebook page along with several teachers and classmates.
“My heart is broken. I had the honor of having Kaden in a STEM class during the fall of 2019. He was exactly the type of student that I had in mind when developing the course. Such a bright mind, ready to solve any problem that you presented him and always willing to help other students. His family and friends are in my thoughts and prayers,” Bryan Heddan wrote.
On Friday night, a car club of which the two sailors belonged to held a vigil as a show of love and support.
The Navy issued a brief statement: “Unfortunately, a Sailor assigned to USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), and a Sailor assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 14, were involved in a fatal vehicle accident in Rancho Bernardo, California this morning. The Abraham Lincoln crew and our HSC-14 Sailors deeply mourn this loss,” Lt. Alyssa La Rosa, spokesperson for Commander, Naval Air Forces said.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced by Townson-Rose Funeral Home.