VILLA RICA, Ga. -- A young soldier who graduated from Villa Rica High School in 2004 was killed in Iraq on Monday.

The Department of Defense said that Sgt. Michael Hardegree, 21, was killed along with 6 other soldiers when the vehicle they were riding in overturned, throwing them over the side of a bridge.

Stan Hardegree described his son as sort of a "ladies man."

"He was 21 years old, almost six-two, redheaded, could be devilishly clever, had a reputation of being a ladies man," Stan Hardegree said. "He loved rock 'n' roll music, just discovered the Beatles."

Hardegree and his team had just finished a mission in Baghdad and were heading back to their base when something went wrong.

"I've heard a couple of stories," Stan Hardegree said. "They were crossing a bridge and there was smoke and maybe some small arms fire. The driver became disoriented or confused, and hit what's called a t-barrier on the bridge, which caused the vehicle to slide toward the edge of the bridge where it teetered momentarily."

Hardegree's father said his son was hoping to come home soon to go to the University of Alabama with a BMW his godfather bought for him as a present.

Stan Hardegree said he is not bitter about his son's death and that his son would have wanted his family to keep going despite the grief.

"Oh, I'm very proud of my son," Hardegree's father said. "I don't have the eloquence to tell you how proud I am."