‘Jay touched the lives of many’: Former Pocatello missionary and BYU-I student identified in fatal crash
Seth Ratliff
REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — The family of a BYU-Idaho student killed in a rollover crash near Preston last weekend has identified him as John “Jay” Mills. Mills, a Georgia native, had recently returned to Idaho after serving an LDS Church mission.
Mills, originally from Cumming, Georgia, was the passenger in a 2005 Toyota Highlander heading south on US 91, according to Idaho State Police. Police say the driver went off the roadway and overcorrected, causing the SUV to roll over the guardrail near mile marker 13.
According to his online obituary, Mills was a Marine Biology student. He had recently completed a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Pocatello area.
Family friend Phillip Smith described the impact Mills had on those around him in a statement on a memorial fundraiser: “Jay touched the lives of many, and his memory will be cherished by all who knew him. The Mills family is facing unimaginable heartbreak, and their friends and community are coming together to support them in any way possible.”
The family created a GoFundMe account to assist with travel and funeral expenses, which as of Wednesday has raised more than $23,000. For more information, click HERE.