A South Forsyth High School graduate died early Wednesday morning after his vehicle crashed into an ice cream shop in downtown Atlanta.

Timothy Nixon, 21, was just months away from graduating from Georgia State University, where he played soccer, according to authorities.

He also played soccer four years under coach Tom Braun at South, from which he graduated in 2008.

“We’re still in shock. It’s just a sad, sad day for us,” Braun said. “He was a great student, a great kid, a great teammate — bubbly personality, someone that everybody liked to be around and can make everyone laugh at any time.

“I think he might have been a 4.0 [grade-point average] student. He was a sharp bright kid … just a very well-rounded young man.”

Lambert High School Principal Gary Davison, who was principal at South while Nixon was there, said he was a “nice kid.”

“He was always pleasant and nice to be around and he was a good friend to a lot of people,” he said. “It’s always sad to hear that a life was cut so short.”

According to an Atlanta police report, Nixon lost control of his vehicle while traveling south in a curve on Peachtree Street by Wall Street.

The vehicle left the road and jumped the curve, striking two planters and a trash can before coming to a rest on its side inside Haagan Dazs at 201 Peachtree St.

Atlanta firefighters removed Nixon from the vehicle and took him to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he later died.

Police haven’t determined what caused Nixon to lose control and the crash investigation is ongoing.

In a statement, Brett Surrency, head coach of Georgia State’s soccer team, said he was “devastated by this incredible tragedy, and our hearts go out to Tim's parents, Diane and Gary, and his family and friends.”

“The Georgia State soccer family has lost a treasured friend and teammate,” Surrency said. “Tim was immensely popular with his teammates, a player and person that everyone was drawn to. I'm at a loss for words.”