High School Junior Dies in Head-On Car Crash While Returning from First Soccer Game of Season

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Two drivers, including 17-year-old Dylan Sougstad, died following a head-on crash in Ohio on March 13.

• Dylan’s family and school community mourn his loss and remember his character and positive impact

• A memorial fund has been launched to create a scholarship honoring Dylan’s values ​​of love, unity, compassion and authenticity

Two people, including a beloved young athlete, died in a head-on traffic accident in Ohio.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol said a 2019 Tesla Model 3 was traveling southbound on State Route 741 around 10 p.m. local time on March 13 when it crossed the center line and struck a 2020 GMC Terrain head-on, according to the NBC affiliate. WLWT and member of CBS who.

Authorities later said that both vehicles flew to different sides of the road and both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Tesla was identified as 17-year-old Dylan Sougstad of Cincinnati, and the driver of the GMC was identified as 53-year-old Chastity Smith of Trenton.

Dylan was returning home from the “first game of the spring club football season” when the accident occurred. obituary. He was a junior at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy at the time of his death.

“We are saddened to share the tragic passing of CHCA student Dylan Sougstad,” the school said. expression. “We mourn with his family, friends and all who loved him. We trust in the hope and comfort of the Lord, trusting that He is near to the brokenhearted.”

Dylan’s mother, Lori Taylor, said the teen’s family is seeking answers about the crash, the ABC affiliate reported. WCPO. Taylor hopes anyone who witnessed the collision will come forward.

“It would be great if we didn’t have to wait so long for the information we would eventually get,” Taylor said.

Nicknamed “Dilly-Wop” and “Dill Pickle,” Dylan was described by loved ones in his obituary as “a beacon of energy and love who touched countless lives.”

Loved ones said Dylan was a “secret artist” for whom his faith was “the cornerstone of his life” and called the teenager “one of the most original people you’ll ever meet.”

“He was a young man of tremendous character and integrity who was considering a future as a lawyer or joining the family business,” according to his obituary, which noted that he was a “natural leader” who was “fiercely loyal to his friends and family.”

His obituary also read: “His light may have gone out too soon, but his influence will forever brighten the lives of all who knew him. He made the world a better place.”

According to WCPO, Dylan’s father, Steve Sougstad, said he was “truly overwhelmed” by the number of children who shared stories with him about how Dylan had “been there for them” in the past.

“As the father of a teenage boy, you always worry that when they learn to drive they’re just running around there, doing stupid things, and he wasn’t like that. He was a good kid,” the father said.

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Additionally, loved ones started the Dylan Sougstad Memorial Fund with a goal of raising $15,000 within 30 days “to kick-start the LUCA Legacy Scholarship,” according to the teen’s obituary.

The scholarship will be awarded to a student who exemplifies the “fundamental principles” of love, unity, compassion and authenticity.

According to Dylan’s obituary, “This scholarship is not about academic merit or athletic ability. It is about character.” “This is about the values ​​that Dylan was raised to live by, and no one embodies that better.”

More than $12,000 was raised GoFundMe on Tuesday, March 31 for Dylan’s family. The donations will be used to support the teenager’s family with “unexpected expenses” and “funeral expenses” following the tragedy.

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