College Student, 21, Was Going to Meet Friends When He Was Run Over by His Own Truck in Freak Incident

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• The Athens-Clarke County Police Department said 21-year-old George Whittenburg died after his parked Toyota Tundra “began to roll backwards, crash, and run over him.”

• The incident is still under investigation

• Whittenburg was a student at the University of Georgia and a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.

A 21-year-old University of Georgia student died after being struck by his own truck late last month, authorities said. He is now remembered for the depth of his faith, his courage and his sense of purpose.

Athens-Clarke County Police Department The department first responded to the single-vehicle crash in the 300 block of Peabody Street in the early evening of Jan. 28, the department said in a news release.

Based on an investigation, police said the victim, later identified as George Whittenburg, stood in front of the driver’s side door of a parked 2018 Toyota Tundra and “the vehicle began to slide backwards, striking him and rolling over him.”

Police added that after hitting a tree, the Tundra continued to move backwards before coming to a stop and crashing into an unoccupied vehicle.

Whittenburg died at the hospital two days later, police said. An investigation is ongoing.

According to a obituaryGrowing up in Austin, Texas, Whittenburg was a junior at the University of Georgia studying accounting.

“Shortly after arriving at the university, George began devoting his time to serving others in the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, inmates seeking recovery at Potter’s House, Cru missions, and daily interactions with others,” his obituary reads. “George became a man devoted to serving our Lord with sacrificial joy, willing to go where God called him. George’s close relationship with God, especially at such a young age, was a blessing to everyone around him.”

His loved ones remembered him in his obituary as “disarmingly vulnerable yet brave…both humble and wise. George struck a rare balance, embracing a carefree joy in everyday life while harboring a deep and reverent reverence for the sacred.”

Whittenburg was about to head out to dinner and a basketball game with friends in the driveway on Jan. 28 when his truck hit him, according to his obituary.

He is survived by his parents and two sisters.

“We bear witness to this truth, remember George’s legacy, and celebrate the completion of God’s work on earth in George. We take comfort in knowing that George is now restored and rejoices in the arms of Jesus,” the obituary reads.

On February 2, a prayer service was held in Whittenburg’s memory at the Sigma Phi Epsilon house in Athens, attended by hundreds of people. Red and Black reported. Whittenburg was a member of the fraternity.

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“He accomplished his goal,” said Wells Muller, president of Sigma Phi Epsilon. Red and Black.

“He mentored younger generations. He loved and cared for God’s creation, because he loved flying fish. But despite all that being said, he touched all of our lives,” Muller said. “I hope this is a heartfelt wake-up call for all of us to love each other, cultivate each other’s friendships, and most importantly, find our faith in God.”

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