'We're Going To Continue His Legacy' | Community Remembers Life Of Garrick Williams Jr., Man Killed In Pedestrian Crash At Mondawmin Mall
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A beloved Baltimore youth football coach was killed Monday afternoon after being hit by a vehicle at Mondawmin Mall in west Baltimore.
Garrick Williams Jr., best known as "Coach Dip", played for the FCA Baltimore Park Heights Secret Society Saints as a kid and eventually became a coach himself.
Coach Monk and Jay Steimetz have been working alongside Williams for years.
"He was very passionate," Steimetz said.
"He loved the sport, he loved the community, he loved Park Heights," Coach Monk said.
His father, Garrick Williams Sr., started the youth football program 20 years ago, and Coach Dip followed in his father's footsteps.
Family and friends said Williams inspired young people both on and off the field.
"His favorite line was: win, lose, or draw, meet me at the 50," Tiara White, a team mom, said.
Police said they don't know whether the driver was under the influence or suffered a medical emergency.
"It's unbelievable when you hear it, that somebody could be with you one day and then the next day, all of a sudden, they're gone," Steimetz said.
"It's a nightmare," White said.
White said the reality is hard to accept, especially for this tight-knit football community.
"And it feels like a bad dream," she said.
Those who knew Williams best said each time they step on the field, they'll remember his passion and commitment to his team and community.
"We're going to continue his legacy," Coach Monk said. "What he started, we're going to continue."
The investigation into the crash is ongoing. Police are asking anyone who may have seen the crash to call them immediately.