Hundreds Gather in Livermore to Honor Teen Killed in Car Crash
LIVERMORE (CBS SF) -- On Saturday night, hundreds from the Livermore community came together for a vigil at Livermore High School, honoring the teenager killed in a recent crash and to show support for the five others who all ended up in the hospital.
"My heart is shattered - for all of the families involved. I'm praying for all of the boys still in the hospital," Livermore parent Colleen Tucker said. "Hug your kids tight, you don't know if you have tomorrow."
A roadside memorial is growing at the site of the crash, on Del Valle Rd. near Mines Rd. in unincorporated Livermore.
Authorities say a pickup truck with six people inside rolled over and plunged 200 feet down an embankment. Two of the people were airlifted to the hospital, the four others were taken by ambulance.
One of the teenagers died. During the vigil on Saturday, family and friends identified him as Hunter Diemert, a junior at Livermore High School.
"Hunter was the best son I could have ever asked for. He was my best friend. I'm going to miss him. I love him so much," his father said.
He was a fixture of his school's wrestling team, and the best kind of teammate one could ask for, according to some of his teammates.
"He always made me and everyone else on the team laugh - he was a great person to be around," one teammate told the crowd.
His coach Herb Guidry was also there at the vigil and spoke to the crowd of hundreds. He shared fond memories - and also - words of encouragement for the community.
"Try to make the most of the moments with everybody you love. There are only so many moments out there with them, so try to make the best of them," he said.
Guidry and others were amazed, but not shocked, by the huge turnout on Saturday night.
"It might say 95,000 on the billboard of how many live here - but we are so tight and full of love and support," Tucker said. "Not just tonight - the support is going to continue on and on."
A GoFundMe page has been set up for another one of the victims - who is fighting for his life. For more information on how to help, click here.
