DANVILLE, Va. (WDBJ/Gray News) – A Virginia family is working to keep the memory of a 14-year-old student-athlete alive after he was killed in a car crash that also left his older brother seriously injured.
J’Kavien Fallen, a 14-year-old student at George Washington High School, was hanging out with some friends Dec. 26 when the car he was riding in ran into a ditch and overturned in Halifax County, Virginia. The teenager, who wasn’t wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle. Officials pronounced him dead at the scene, WDBJ reports.
J’Kavien’s mother, Tikia Fallen, is left heartbroken by the loss of her son.
“He had no desire to be like anybody else. He was definitely his own person. A jumping jelly bean. But he took his energy and put it in the field, on the court, on the track. My big, gentle giant,” she said.
J’Kavien’s 18-year-old brother was also in the car when it crashed. He sustained serious injuries and is now recovering at Duke Hospital in North Carolina.
“He ended up with a fractured spine. His nose was fractured, and as of now, he has no movement below his waist,” Fallen said.
Fallen says J’Kavien was a big personality with big dreams. She spoke about the importance of wearing seat belts in the wake of his death.
“Pretty sure they got in that vehicle not knowing things would go [the way] they would because they were boys, teenage boys, just wanting to ride and have fun,” she said.
J’Kavien’s coach, Quincey Brooks, is remembering him as a wonderful athlete who excelled both on and off the field.
“He was a great kid. Besides his athletic ability, he was humble. He was respectful. Not only respected by his coaches but respected by his teachers and his peers,” Brooks said.
Brooks highlighted the 14-year-old’s accolades in track, football and basketball.
“He won the district in all three of those sports last year as an 8th grader and was a key component on the JV football team that won the Piedmont district this year. He was just an awesome kid,” Brooks said.
J’Kavien’s family is asking people to donate to their GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs and hospital bills.
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