Michelle McCool Remembers Nephew After Tragic Accident
Michelle McCool took to Instagram this week to remember her nephew who just passed away after a car accident in Palatka, Florida.
The St. Augustine record reports that 18 year old Rhett McCool passed away on Sunday night in Palatka, Florida. He was driving his 2014 Chevrolet Silverado northbound on Browns Landing Road at around 7pm when his car veered off the road, for unknown reasons, and then drove onto the shoulder, into a ditch and then into a tree, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The truck overturned and both people inside were ejected from it. McCool was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger, 20 year old Brittney Green, is currently in critical condition at UF Shands Hospital in Gainesville, FL.
Rhett was a 2019 Nease High School graduate. The paper noted that his father is Panthers athletic director Matt McCool, and his grandfather was the longtime football coach at Palatka High School. Michelle is from Palatka, and other family members have held prominent positions in coaching, teaching and community organizations in Putnam County. The social distancing brought on by the coronavirus pandemic did not stop the community from paying respects to the McCool family as a parent forum for the Nease football program created a processional where people could express their condolences to Rhett's parents and siblings from a distance. The St. Augustine Record notes that scores of people did just that on Monday night in the Palencia neighborhood. Later on more than two dozen young adults gathered as a gas station near the McCool's home to reminisce about Rhett.
Michelle remembered Rhett on Instagram and noted that she was unable to be with the rest of the family at this time. She and The Undertaker live in Texas and the COVID-19 outbreak could be preventing them from traveling.
She wrote, "I've sat on this trying to find the words. I've realized the words will probably never come. Getting a call Sunday night that my sweet nephew, Rhett MCCool, had been in a tragic accident, has rocked my world. It doesn't make sense! If you knew him, you loved him. Always hunting, fishing, wearing cowboy boots......& ALWAYS smiling! [broken heart emoji]"
"This one hurts. It hurts a lot. It hurts not being able to be with the rest of my family right now. It hurts knowing he was 18 with an entire life ahead! It hurts knowing the pain his parents, brother & rest of his family & friends are feeling! Emotions have been ALL over...but the love, the love I have for him, the love that has been outpouring for him, the love of eternally resting (& most likely already hunting or fishing) with his Heavenly Father is what I choose to hold onto! Matt, Ashley, sweet Clay & the rest of the McCool clan....we love you & cant wait to see you soon! #RIPRhett #weloveyourhett [blue heart emoji] [hands raised emoji]"
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Michelle McCool-Calaway (@mimicalacool) on