Georgia high school grad among soldiers killed in Washington crash

Taylor Croft, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Jan 30, 2025

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ATLANTA — A Gwinnett County high school graduate was one of three soldiers aboard the U.S. Army helicopter that collided in midair Wednesday night with an American Airlines passenger jet at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp confirmed via social media.

Ryan O’Hara, a staff sergeant in the Army, graduated from Parkview High in 2014, his former JROTC instructor David Erwin said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday. Erwin, who has been in close contact with O’Hara’s father, said Ryan leaves behind a grieving wife and 1-year-old son.

Sam Lilley, another Georgian who was killed in the crash, was on the passenger flight.

“We send our deepest condolences to the families and friends of Ryan O’Hara and Sam Lilley as they navigate this difficult time,” Kemp said in a post on X.

O’Hara became one of the leaders of the JROTC program at Parkview and joined the Army right after high school, Erwin said.

“He was a go-to kid, you know,” Erwin said of O’Hara. “If you needed something done, he was one of the first people you’d look for.”

President Donald Trump said at a briefing Thursday that there were no survivors of the crash.

“Both of these young Georgians shared a passion for flight and for serving others, and this terrible tragedy is that much more difficult knowing their lives were cut so unexpectedly short,” Kemp posted.

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