Westminster – Two Pomona High School sophomores died in a car crash late Saturday when the hatchback they were riding in struck a traffic-light pole.
The driver of the car was injured and taken to the hospital, and police say alcohol could be a factor.
On Sunday, a steady stream of friends came to the crash scene at West 92nd Avenue and Wadsworth Parkway.
Police identified the two victims as Chayce Miller and Alex Livesay, which Jefferson County Public Schools spokeswoman Marlene Desmond confirmed Sunday afternoon.
Many at the scene left bouquets of roses and daisies at the base of the pole, some with a stem poked through an index card on which a final message to Miller and Livesay was left.
“You mean the world to me,” one note to Livesay read. “I will never, ever forget you.”
“You’re such a great kid,” one to Miller read. “I’m sorry you had to leave us so soon.”
Others arriving at the scene brought pictures. Some stood silently around the pole and hugged.
“It’s not fair,” friend and classmate Buster Thede said through tears. “They had their whole lives in front of them.”
Miller was a talented football player who was expected to be a starting safety for Pomona’s varsity team next season, Thede said. Other friends said Livesay was on the wrestling team. Both boys were described as funny, popular and kind.
“Their families, I can’t even imagine what they’re going through,” said Katrina Draper, another classmate. “Especially on Mother’s Day. It’s a tragedy.”
Thede’s mother and sister brought a photo with them to the scene. It was of Miller standing with several friends and grinning goofily after his team won a dodge ball tournament at the local YMCA.
“It’s just hard to believe,” Thede’s mother, Lisa, said. “I heard the sirens last night, and I called both my children to make sure they were OK. I just couldn’t believe it was Chayce. He was so young.”
The crash happened about 11:30 p.m. Saturday.
Westminster police spokesman Wayne Read said the boys were riding in a teal Honda hatchback driven by Gregory Ullrich, 24, of Arvada. The car was northbound on Wadsworth when it hit a traffic-light pole on an island separating the through lanes from the right-turn lane.
Ullrich was taken to St. Anthony Central Hospital with unspecified injuries.
The investigation into the crash is continuing, including whether alcohol may have been a factor. Police haven’t determined whether the car was speeding.
A large group of friends was expected to gather Sunday night at a nearby church for a memorial service for the boys. Desmond said grief counselors will be at Pomona High, in Arvada, this morning to help students reeling from the trauma. There are about three weeks left in the school year, she said.
Livesay’s father, Mark, visited the scene of the accident Sunday afternoon. He told 9News the accident shows the danger of mixing alcohol and driving.
“If one thing could come out of this tragedy, it would be to save one of these kids’ lives from the same type of thing happening to them,” he said about those gathered. “It would make me happy. It would ease the pain for me a little bit.”
Staff writer Jim Kirksey contributed to this report.
Staff writer John Ingold can be reached at 720-929-0898 or jingold@denverpost.com.
