PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Close to 900 people gathered to celebrate the lives to two teenage boys killed in a car crash in Clackamas County in July.
Tyler Bracken and EJ Santos had just graduated from Southridge High School weeks before they died as the result of a car crash on Hwy 211 in Molalla on July 11.
Tyler was trying to pass other cars on a blind corner and lost control. His car was then hit by another car. EJ died at the scene. Tyler was taken off life-support days later. His heart, kidneys, liver and eyes were donated.
At the memorial at Westside: A Jesus Church, the boy’s football jerseys were on display.
“These boys lived their life with integrity, excellence and brotherhood,” their football coach said.
Friends remembered them as kind, funny and unforgettable.
“It’s really an eye-opening moment to see how many people they did touch,” friend Riley said.
Since their deaths, friends say the community has shown unwavering support.
“They were definitely two of the people who deserved this the least and I don’t know why things happen this way but they had the community, the community had their backs,” friend Spencer Stevens said.
The community has donated $16,000 to GoFundMe to help with expenses.