Trooper Larry Schnall says David Rusk lives near the crash site and he flagged down Bellsouth employee Randy Hughes.
"They both went down and got in the water, of course with the severe cold temperatures," Schnall said. "And pulled the young lady out."
Schnall says had they not done so, Derose would have likely died.
"She very well could have drowned," Schnall added. "And if they had not summoned the medical personnel as quickly as they did, she could have very well lost her life."
Derose suffered severe spinal damage. Killed in the crash were 18 Mitchell Allen Collins and 16-year-old Brandon Holmes.
"Linda Thompson, assistant principal at Flowery Branch, talked with Ashley's mother and (got a) good report," Gordon Higgins said Wednesday afternoon. "Her condition continues to improve, however, she did suffer serious spinal injuries."
Higgins said it's not known at this point what the ultimate result of those injuries will be but it's going to be "a long road to recovery" for the Flowery Branch freshman.
"But, the good news for (Ashley) and her family is (that) it looks like she's going to make it."
Investigators say say the pickup in which the three were riding hit a tree and overturned -- landing upside down in a creek on Union Church Road.
The Georgia State Patrol said 18-year-old Mitchell Allen Collins -- and 16-year-old Brandon Holmes died at the scene. Higgins said Wednesday morning Collins had withdrawn from Flowery Branch High School at the start of this semester with the announced intention of further pursuing his high school education at the county's evening school, now a part of the Lanier Career Academy.
Funeral services will be held Friday at 1:00pm for Collins at Flanigans Chapel in Buford. Visitation will be Thursday 5-9pm, also at Flanigans.
Higgins said Holmes had never attended Flowery Branch but had been a student in the county school system, last attending Johnson High last year.
Counselors and psychologists were on hand at Flowery Branch High Wednesday morning as a new school day began and the principal, Mark Coleman, talked to the students at the start of their day about the accident.
"As you would expect, a very somber mood," Higgins said. "A lot of young people upset, especially those who were close to the victims."
Higgins said students were meeting in groups to discuss what happened and he said members of the crisis team of counselors who were called in say the process "won't be over today." They say it will take several days and "maybe even weeks" for some of the students to "get over this and go through the grieving process."
The wreck happened about 3:15 Tuesday afternoon on Union Church Road near Chestnut Mountain.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2005/1/142839