Thornton – More than 1,000 people braved icy wind and a spring storm for a candlelight vigil Monday night honoring Devon Knight, the 17-year-old football star who died early Sunday morning after attending his prom.
The large turnout at Horizon High School’s football field “showed the impact he had on people,” said Knight’s close friend Jon Burke after the vigil.
Investigators, meanwhile, were not saying Monday what may have caused Knight to swerve into oncoming traffic Sunday.
An initial investigation into the accident does not point to drugs or alcohol as a factor. Knight’s friend Brandon Bunjes attests that liquor had no place in Knight’s life.
“We talked about how our whole lives were ahead of us and alcohol and drugs was not going to be a part of that,” Bunjes said.
Friends believe that Knight got distracted while driving his girlfriend home after the Horizon prom.
Bunjes said several students were speculating that Knight was reaching into his gym bag just before the head-on collision that killed him about 7:12 a.m. Sunday on East 104th Avenue just west of Brighton Road in Adams County.
Knight’s 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix, traveling east on 104th, swerved over double yellow lines and collided with a westbound Nissan Exterra.
Knight’s passenger and prom date, 17-year-old Tasheena Zorn, was injured but was home by Monday. The driver of the Nissan – 23-year-old Jacob Nottage – suffered moderate injuries but was allowed to go home Sunday night.
A state patrol spokesman Monday couldn’t say whether Knight was wearing a seat belt.
Bunjes said he didn’t think fatigue had anything to do with the accident. “If he was tired, there is no way he would have gotten behind the wheel,” he said. “He wouldn’t have put (anyone) in danger like that.”
Law enforcement officials said Monday they did not want to speculate on what caused the accident. But, they acknowledge, modern-day distractions can plague motorists and lead to tragedies on the road.
“It’s just not a teenage issue; it’s a major issue for all drivers on the road today,” said Adams County sheriff’s spokesman Louis Dixon. “You have cellphones, radios, MP3 players. … It’s so easy to get distracted with so many of these toys around.”
As many as 300 people visited the Knight home over the past two days, said Knight’s aunt Tasha Small.
A junior, Knight played tailback for the Horizon Hawks and attracted interest from several schools. He wanted to go to the University of North Carolina or the University of Florida but was also looking at schools in Colorado and California.
But Small said she didn’t want her nephew to be pigeonholed as a jock. “He was friends with everybody, and he was good student,” she said.
A roadside memorial was erected for Knight at the scene of the crash. A purple balloon danced in the late afternoon wind while students stopped to leave flowers, photos, cards and other mementos.
Monday night, there were hugs and tears and fond memories as students and others gathered for the vigil. In attendance were about 200 athletes from Horizon, as well as athletes from other Adams County schools who had competed against him.
“We were honored to know him. God bless him,” one young man told the crowd.
Senior Eric Cosyleon said the usually boisterous students at Horizon were hushed Monday by Knight’s death.
“It was weird,” Cosyleon said. “Everything and everybody was so quiet.”
“He (Knight) was such a good kid,” he added. “I just don’t understand how you can explain something like this.”
A memorial fund has been set up at the Colorado United Credit Union, 1501 Del Norte St., Denver, 80221.
Staff writer Monte Whaley can be reached at 720-929-0907 or whaley@denverpost.com.
