18-year-old martial artist killed in Baltimore County crash remembered as a "great role model"

Ryan Duvall, an 18-year-old who died as a passenger in a single-vehicle crash on Friday, May 1, in Baltimore County, is remembered as a passionate martial artist and a "great role model."

He was killed after the vehicle he was in went off the roadway and collided with a tree around 9:30 p.m. on Poplar Hill Road near Merrymans Mill Road near Cockeysville. Two minors in the car suffered life-threatening injuries, and another minor was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

"We miss him terribly. We're still shell-shocked by this whole thing," said Jim Bannister, the co-owner of Quest Martial Arts in Phoenix, Maryland.

Duvall was a student at Harford Community College.  

"He was so friendly and inviting"

Bannister said Duvall was a first dan black belt who spent at least two or three days a week at Quest Martial Arts.

And while martial arts was a big part of Duvall's life, Bannister said that was just a small part of the man he was growing up to be.

"He was well-liked by everyone; he got along with people," Bannister said. "He was the sort of person we could partner up with anyone; we'd oftentimes put him with new students because he was so friendly and inviting."

The Cockeysville community is mourning his death and remembering the impact he made in the dojo and beyond.

"He embodied so many of the nonphysical characteristics that we look for in a martial artist," Bannister said. "One that really jumps out at me is how humble he was. He would do something really amazing, and we would compliment him on it, and he wouldn't say a word. He would kind of just give us this little smile."

Days after Duvall's death, Bannister said he won't be forgotten. 

"He was an important part of the school, and I'd like to see other people coming in that are just like him, too, for that spirit of how he approached training to continue with our other students as well," Bannister said. "He was a great role model."

Mother: "We are truly heartbroken"  

Michele Duvall, Ryan Duvall's mother, in a statement, thanked the community for their tremendous support, adding, "Our son was a thoughtful, kind, and considerate person who was strong in his Christian faith and loved his family. He was a fantastic brother to his older sister and the best uncle to his 8-year-old niece. We are truly heartbroken."

Duvall's mother told CBS News Baltimore to extend the same love and support to the others involved in the crash and their families as they fight for their lives.