Photo: Bethany Christian Schools
An 18-year-old basketball player from Goshen, Indiana, died when he was involved in a head-on crash while on his way to a college recruiting visit, his high schoolconfirmed in a social media poston Sunday.
Bethany Christian High School senior KeShawn Smith was driving to a recruiting event at Huntington University on Saturday evening when his 2002 Honda Civic crossed over the center line of a state road and slammed into an oncoming 2013 Ford Expedition, according to the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department.
Smith, who scored 17 points for the school’s basketball team just the night before, was pronounced dead at the scene.
According toIndyStar,Smith also played on the school’s soccer team and helped lead them to two consecutive sectional titles.
“KeShawn was an extremely hard worker and just a great kid to coach,” Bethany Principal J. Hank Willems, who also served as Smith’s varsity soccer coach, told the newspaper. “We have had better players at Bethany, but none more important to our team.”
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The basketball team will wear aspecial warm-up shirt in memory of Smithfor their upcoming game on Friday. The team’s coach, Ryan Gingerich, said Smith was a popular student and a role model to others.
“He had such an influence on so many lives, from elementary school and middle school students, to teammates to teachers and coaches,” Gingerich toldGoshen News. “He is the kind of kid you would want to coach for the rest of your life. You would never want him to leave.”
It could be several weeks before the toxicology results are returned, public information officer for the Kosciusko County Sheriff, Chris Francis, tells PEOPLE.
Before his death, Smith was choosing whether to attend Huntington or Grace College after his graduation, according to hisobituary.
“He will be remembered for his contagious smile, infectious personality and professional eating skills. KeShawn’s outgoing personality made him a real connector, always bringing people together,” it reads.
“Win or lose, he always loved Notre Dame, traveling, shark fishing as well as all kinds of music. Outside of sports and school, he enjoyed driving Jeeps, riding dirt bikes, four wheelers and golf carts.”
Funeral services for Smith will be held on March 2.
source: people.com
