WLTZ 38 | Columbus Georgia Regional News & CommunityNew Year's Day wreck claims the life of AU student

By: Christina Chambers

The start of the new year took a wrong turn for two Auburn University students traveling on Highway 280 near Auburn Sunday night. 

"The driver of the vehicle and his girlfriend were coming back from a hunting trip in the Opelika-Chambers County area," said Alabama State Trooper Sergeant Gary McWaters.

The driver has been identified as Drew Cole, an Auburn University football player. According to the university's website, Cole is a defensive back from Mississippi.

"They were trying to find an address to a sports store in Opelika. They were trying to type in the address into their GPS system, " said McWaters.

That's when Sergeant McWaters said Cole's truck left the roadway, swerved, and flipped over—ejecting the passenger, Cole's girlfriend, Elizabeth "Libbie" Ainsworth. McWaters says this is why it's so important to stay focused on the road while driving.

"Even if the GPS is on your dash, you have to take your eyes off the roadway and focus on a three inch screen, and that's exactly what happened here. They left the roadway, jerked the steering wheel, and before you know it, he only had a few seconds," said McWaters.

John Atkinson with the East Alabama Medical Center tells NBC 38 that Cole was treated and released on Sunday. The passenger, Elizabeth "Libbie" Ainsworth, was air lifted to the Columbus Regional Medical Center where she was treated for severe brain injuries. Hospital officials confirm Ainsworth died Tuesday afternoon.

The Alabama State Troopers post in Opelika says it responded to more than 20 wrecks over the New Year's weekend, including this accident.