SALINA, Kan. (KAKE) – A college student who was set to graduate in two months was killed in a massive pileup.
Seventy-one vehicles crashed along Interstate 70 in northwest Kansas on Friday.
To his family, 20-year-old Dawson Hogan was not just an all-American wrestler or a talented football player. He was also a good person with a bright future, a brother, a son and a winner.
“He was a built-in best friend. That’s what he was,” Dakota Hogan said of his brother.
Dawson Hogan’s brothers and sisters say they already miss him tremendously; it’s a loss they’re sharing with his friends.
“From what all his friends are saying, he was somebody they could always lean on and look to for support and guidance, so that makes me very proud as a big sister,” Sidney Hogan said.
Dawson Hogan was one of eight who died in the 71-car pileup in northwest Kansas on Friday night.
He was heading home to Salina for spring break to visit family. They say they knew something was wrong when he didn’t answer his phone.
“I think everybody’s kind of in the dark about a lot of information,” Sidney Hogan added. “How things actually happened and came about, what state he was actually in, what condition he was in, so that’s probably the hardest part”
His family says Dawson Hogan was loved by all and was extremely successful in school. He was supposed to graduate from Fort Hays State Tech this upcoming May with a degree in electrical technology.
“He was nominated for the National Honor Society, and Dawson being Dawson, didn’t think that was a big deal to tell everybody about,” Sidney Hogan said.
His family recalled fond memories of Dawson Hogan at their aunt’s pool during the summer, or of him wrestling in the living room with his brothers.
“You never know when your last moments will be, and I’ve learned to spend time with my family when I can and just enjoy the days we do have together,” Sidney Hogan said.
A dust storm reduced visibility, which factored into the pileup.
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