CALEDONIA, Mich. — The Caledonia community has been hit with an unimaginable loss this week. That of 18-year-old Elijah Holt.
Monday morning, Elijah was on US 131 when his car left the road and hit a tree, killing him.
"Elijah was, he was funny. He was one of those guys who could walk into a room and everyone would light up," said his cousin, Ryel Daye.
He graduated with the Caledonia High School Class of 2023 and played basketball and football.
Ryel said his competitive spirit was special.
"Any of his friends would tell you that, like, you walk anywhere, everything's a competition. He just loved to make people smile."
The Holt family had been going through a difficult time even before Elijah's accident.
In August, family says a tornado threw Elijah's father's car into the median. He's still in the hospital recovering.
"It's just it's been a rough couple 17 days for us just a rough situation with everything going on," said Ryel. "And it's been a hard time but you know, all we can do is pray and just stay relaxed and rely on God's plan."
Dealing with the most recent Holt family tragedy, Elijah's former football team remembers him as a leader and a great friend.
"I think we've got some sad guys about it. It's a loss to our community and it's hard," said head coach Derek Pennington.
"We hung out with him every weekend I'd say and I mean we saw him in school, had a few classes with him, and he was one of my friends too and it does hit pretty hard," said Blake Herron, a former teammate of Elijah's.
Ryel has a message for everyone whose lives Elijah touched.
"Don't forget him. He's he was a great kid and just never forget the impact he had on you."
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