19-Year-Old with 'Kind and Loving Personality' Dies in Car Crash on Calif. Freeway

Troy Yoda.Photo: GoFundMe

A California family is in mourning after officials say their 19-year-old son fatally crashed his car on a local freeway.

Troy Matthew Yoda was identified as the victim in Sunday’s single-vehicle crash,according to a statementfrom the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Coroner’s Division.

The coroner said California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers responded to the incident on the southbound Interstate 15 and Alvord Mountain Road in Harvard just after 7 a.m.

CHP Barstow officials were able to determine that Yoda had been driving his 2001 Honda on the I-15 south when it veered into the center median, theVictorville Daily Pressreported.

His vehicle then entered Manix Wash, a 2.5 mile-long tributary stream of the Mojave River in San Bernardino County, and went airborne before colliding with the wash’s concrete wall, according to the local outlet.

Yoda, of Victorville, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the coroner’s statement.

At this time, it is unclear what caused the teen’s vehicle to veer into the center median. The CHP is currently investigating the crash, the coroner confirmed.

A CHP spokesperson did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Garcia said Yoda had graduated in 2019 and that he played outfield for the Hawks.

“Troy was the ultimate team player,” Garcia told theDaily Press. “The kid did whatever was needed for the team. He didn’t complain when he didn’t start and just worked hard every day.”

“He was a close friend of my son and I saw him all the time,” Garcia added. “It’s just very sad for the Silverado baseball family. Our heart breaks for his family.”

Kris Reilly, a spokesperson for the Victor Valley Union High School District (which includes Silverado High School) also expressed their condolences over Yoda’s passing in a statement to theDaily Press.

RELATED VIDEO: ‘America’s Got Talent’ Rising Star Dies in Car Crash at Age 29

“This is a sad day for the Silverado family and for the Victor Valley Union High School District,” Reilly said. “Troy has siblings who still attend Silverado and are active in extracurricular activities such as sports. School administration has contacted the family to offer support and will continue to do so in the days ahead.”

PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to provide avenues for our readers to pay it forward during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information aboutCauses— hubs that bring charities, individuals, donors and corporate partners together to help people in need — visitGoFundMe.

On Tuesday,a GoFundMe pagewas set up for Yoda’s family to assist with the “financial burden” related to funeral expenses and other unexpected costs.

“The world lost a handsome young man,” reads the fundraiser, which has raised over $27,000. “No parent/family is ever prepared to have to face their child’s final expenses.”

“Troy was a very special young man and anyone who had the honor to meet him fell in love with his kind and loving personality right away,” the page continues. “His smile and laugh [were] infectious, His love for sports (BASEBALL) will be his lasting legacy.”

Those interested in donating to the GoFundMe page for Yoda’s family can do sohere.

source: people.com