COLCHESTER — Hundreds of people, many clad in red, gathered on the town green Sunday to remember two local teens, Tyler Graham and Jacob Chapman, who were dedicated lacrosse players in their first year at Western Connecticut State University.
Graham and Chapman, both 18, were killed, and another teen was seriously injured, when a car Chapman was driving crashed Friday afternoon near the intersection of Route 354 and Lake Hayward Road. The two teens, who both loved the color red, were residents of Colchester and graduates of Bacon Academy.
As the bells rang out at Colchester Federated Church, candles were lit and the sprawling group gathered around the pavilion decorated with red and white flowers, while those closest to the pair shared memories.
Luke Maynard, choking back tears, spoke about the young men he called his best friends.
“Although you may not be here to make us smile right now, God has a new task for you, a new chance for you to change lives and spread all the love you boys had,” he said.
Kellen Paparella, who played lacrosse with Graham and Chapman, talked about the bond the two had and the camaraderie they shared on the field.
“The two of them were some of the biggest goofballs ever,” he said. “It was always just Jake and Tyler, two peas in a pod. They came in together and they went out together.”
He went on to say, “They both were the funniest and greatest teammates to play with. I can’t wait to ball with them up above.”
A town support team has been created that includes clergy, counselors, youth and social services staff, school administrators, and pet therapy providers. Counseling services will be available at Bacon Academy starting tomorrow.
The vigil ended with the song “Good Riddance,” as friends recalled the time Graham and Chapman played it on guitar in Cape Cod.
Clinton resident Kristen Eveland, friends with the families, came from Clinton “to celebrate Jake and Tyler.”
“They’ve gone too soon. It’s a very sad day for Colchester,” she said, sitting at a picnic table an hour before the start of the vigil.
Everland said friends traveled from all over the state for the vigil.
Clinton resident Sean Quinn, sitting with Everland, stressed that while both Graham and Chapman were lacrosse players, “they’re more than lacrosse players. They were good all-around kids. They did play sports, but they were good all-around kids, really generally happy people.”
The Most Rev. Richard Breton, who attended the vigil Sunday evening, knew both Chapman and Graham from Guardian Angels Church.
“This weekend at all of our Masses, we prayed for both Tyler and Jake and their families,” said Breton at Sunday’s vigil. He said the gathering Sunday night was important for the town and the family.
“At Guardians Angels Church our door’s open to anybody who needs to come in and talk or needs someone to listen. We’d be very happy to listen ... Whenever there’s a tragedy we have to come together and show our support for each other.
Chapman and Graham were both pursuing business degrees from the Ancell School of Business, university officials said. A campus-wide memorial event is still being planned, according to the university.
A third passenger, Trey Massaro, 19, of Dalton, Mass., was seriously injured but expected to recover, Clark said. Massaro is also a first-year WCSU student majoring in justice and law administration.
Marissa Mazzola, who organized Sunday’s gathering, began the vigil with a moment of silence for Massaro, who is still recovering in the hospital after the accident.
All three students were members of the university’s men’s lacrosse team.
No further details on the crash were available Sunday. The investigation is still in the preliminary stages, state police said Sunday.
In an email Sunday evening, Dr. James Gill, the state’s chief medical examiner, said both boys died of multiple blunt injuries and that their deaths were an accident.
State police said they were notified about the crash around 1 p.m. Friday. Chapman was driving a 2010 Nissan Altima and Graham was in the front passenger’s seat, according to an initial report from Troop K. Police said Chapman was attempting to pass another car at a high speed when the car left the road and collided with a guardrail and trees before falling down an embankment.
Police and the town’s Public Works Department are working to improve the safety around the site of the accident, which has been set up as a memorial, Colchester First Selectman Mary Bylone said in a post on her official Facebook page Sunday.
The town is advising caution when passing through the area and asking visitors not to park along Route 354 in either direction. Visitors should park on the shoulder of Lake Hayward Road.
The town also has installed signage and speed flashing units and has an officer scheduled to help with traffic control and parking, according to the Facebook post.
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October 25, 2021 at 07:01AM
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'They've gone too soon': Hundreds gather at vigil for WCSU students killed in Colchester crash - CT Insider
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