Family and friends remember 12-year-old killed in Black Forest crash
BLACK FOREST, Colo. (KRDO) - A Black Forest family is grieving the tragic death of 12-year-old Chase Culp. KRDO13 reported the calls from the community for more road safety measures after he died in a crash. Now we're learning more about the lives the young boy touched.
RELATED: Community calls for additional safety measures in Black Forest following deadly crash
Family and friends say that Chase Culp was so much bigger than himself. The seventh grader was a son, a brother, a dedicated student, and an athlete. They say he touched lives in every corner he reached.
Paul Alexander had the honor of coaching Chase alongside his father Colby.
"He's everything you want out of just a great kid in life," said basketball coach Alexander, "When he's with his dad and they're playing basketball, you just see that smile. And he lights up that room with that smile."
It's a smile that shines on the court and in the classroom.
"Chase began every day with a smile and ended every day with a smile. Everybody was just drawn to Chase and wanted to be near him," said Chase's kindergarten teacher, Meg Wieland.
They say he loved nature and was super bright and dedicated.
"He was always giving 100%, always wanting to be better, and never complained," said Chase's lacrosse coach, Jeff Thomas.
It's a sentiment echoed by his basketball coach.
"He made me want to keep coaching. He made coaching a joy. And that's what I loved about him," Alexander said, "He's a special young man and every single teammate can attest to that."
Now the Eagles will continue to honor him in every practice and every game.
"We're really going to memorialize him in every practice and every game. We have patches that are going on our Eagles jerseys. We have his number 25 being retired. Nobody in the Eagles organization will wear number 25 again," Alexander said.
Instead, his jersey will be right there with them at the games.
"We will never forget his legacy and who he is as a person. It's imperative that we do that as an organization and a basketball family. We will keep him alive. Every single practice, every single game. His basketball jersey will be with us. It will be sitting on that bench," stated Alexander.
The coach continued to say, "He will not be forgotten for us or this family. And we love him. We miss him, and we're going to be there for him and his parents."
Alexander reminds this is a long arduous process for the family and they will continue to need the community to check in on them. Right now community members are raising money for the Culp family. Those who feel drawn to support can do so at this GoFundMe link.
Academy District 20's Home School Academy also sent this statement to the school's community,
“It is with profound sadness that we inform you of the passing of Chase Culp, a 7th-grade student at our school, who died in a car accident on Friday night. Chase has been a student at the Homeschool Academy since Kindergarten, and he was well-loved by peers and teachers alike. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the Culp family during this incredibly difficult time. We have been in touch with them to offer our support.
We will be providing support to students and staff through Academy District 20 Care Team, trained in crisis counseling, who will be available to help those who need to talk and work through their emotions."
—The ASD20 and HSA Team
