2 Butler County men killed in devastating crash were coaches who "made a lasting difference"

Two youth coaches who spent years mentoring children are now being remembered for the lives they touched after a devastating crash in Butler County.

Investigators said 38-year-old Cody Huffman of Harmony and 45-year-old Garrett Griffin of Cranberry died after their SUV slammed into a tree and burst into flames on Beacon Road in Penn Township on July 25. Investigators said Huffman died at the scene, while Griffin later died at a local hospital.

As investigators continue working to determine what caused the crash, those who knew Huffman and Griffin are remembering the lives they poured into young athletes. Between them, they spent years coaching baseball, football and basketball throughout the Seneca Valley community. 

In a message to the community, Seneca Valley Raiders Baseball wrote on its Facebook page that the two were "much more than coaches. They were devoted husbands, loving fathers, mentors and role models who made a lasting difference in the lives of countless young athletes."

The organization is also asking the community to keep both families in their thoughts and prayers and to continue surrounding them with love and support in the days and months ahead.

On Thursday, a neighbor told KDKA-TV that she heard the crash from her patio and described it as a sound she'll "never forget."

"We heard a short screech and an explosion," neighbor Paula Grubbs said. "If it hadn't been for the screech, I would have thought a house exploded, or someone was shooting Tannerite. It was so loud, and we felt the percussion."

She said she immediately ran through her yard and straight toward Beacon Road, where she saw an SUV wrapped around a tree, with flames already beginning to spread. As the flames grew, she said neighbors began running from their homes.

"My neighbor had a fire extinguisher, and I had a fire blanket," Grubbs said. "She jumped in my car, and we flew down there with that equipment. The man whose house it happened at ran and grabbed it and started trying to smash the window to get to the people."

Pennsylvania State Police are investigating the crash. Meanwhile, GoFundMe pages have been created to help both families as the community rallies around the wives, children and loved ones left behind.