Peyton Mackenzie Irwin was a native of Huntsville, Texas.  She had a bright smile, an infectious laugh, and perfectly placed freckles.  Amongst other activities, she was active in Girl Scouts, her church youth group, and both the Military Marching Band and the Grenadier Guard drill team at Huntsville High School.  She graduated from Huntsville High School in 2018.

On March 29, 2019, Peyton was traveling by car to San Antonio, Texas to support the Grenadier Guard at a state competition; unfortunately, she never made it to the event.  The car she was riding in was rear-ended by a driver who was texting while driving nearly 60 mph; Peyton and three other passengers were killed.  The distracted driver applied his brakes just 0.6 seconds before impact.

Peyton's parents, Billy & Deanna Irwin, formed the Peyton Irwin Foundation in April 2019 to spread awareness of the dangers of distracted driving.

Peyton Irwin Foundation in the News