Many Columbia High School students and staff were joined by others in the community Monday evening as they gathered in remembrance of Crawford Bryant, a CHS sophomore who died tragically in a car crash over the weekend.

Emergency personnel responded about 3 p.m. Sunday to a single-vehicle rollover crash with multiple injuries in the 4100 block of Hanover Road just west of Route 3 north of Waterloo.

It was later learned that all four individuals involved in the crash were CHS students.

Hanover Road was closed as police conducted accident reconstruction as part of an investigation. It was reopened just after 7 p.m.

Immaculate Conception Church in Columbia held a prayer vigil Sunday night in “support of the families of the young men involved” in the crash, per a post on Facebook.

On Monday morning, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department said one person was fatally injured, and another was in critical condition.

The Illinois State Police stated in a Monday afternoon press release that “preliminary reports indicate that a Waterloo Police Department officer observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on Route 3. Shortly thereafter, the vehicle was discovered on Hanover Road, involved in a single-vehicle crash.”

Bryant, 15, was pronounced deceased on scene by the Monroe County Coroner’s Office, ISP said. Another occupant was airlifted to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries, while two other students were transported by ambulance to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Monroe County Coroner’s Office said Bryant was a passenger in a 2013 Nissan Altima that left the roadway and struck a tree.

The crash remains under investigation.

The CHS boys soccer team posted Monday on Facebook that it lost a team member in the crash.

“Our hearts are broken; we are mourning the loss of a brother and teammate,” the post states.

The team hosted a candlelight vigil Monday night in honor of Bryant at the parking lot of Columbia Bath & Tennis Club near Bolm-Schuhkraft City Park.

The Hilltoppers Swim Club also posted on Facebook that it lost a “Gator family member” and also urged the community to attend the evening vigil.

“Crawford was an energetic and beautiful young man with a bright future ahead of him. We will be wearing our Gator shirts in his honor,” the swim club posted.

During the vigil, hundreds of attendees walked from the park to the Bryants’ home on North Main Street.

The group poured into the Bryants’ yard and were met by Crawford’s parents and other family members.

With candles glowing through the evening in memory of Crawford, members of the family as well as his friends and others who knew him comforted one another, sharing hugs and tears as they grappled with their loss.

One of Crawford’s soccer teammates led the crowd in a prayer, and Hank Harrison, Crawford’s uncle, briefly addressed the group on behalf of the family, offering thanks as well as a solemn piece of advice.

“On behalf of the family, we would like to thank everybody for coming. It means so much,” Harrison said. “When you leave here tonight, hug your kids, hug your parents, hug your brothers and sisters. Tell them you love them, because God knows you might not get a chance to say it again.”

CHS posted Monday that “due to recent events, we will not take attendance at school (Tuesday). However, we will be open and have counselors and social workers present for those who need to talk.”

Columbia Superintendent of Schools Chris Grode offered a comment of condolences early Tuesday.

“We are taking it one day at a time,” Grode said. “This is absolutely tragic and horrific, and our hearts go out to the families, all of our students that are dealing and processing with this. It’s a ‘one day at a time’ type of situation.”

The school district also announced that classes would not be in session throughout the district on Thursday in order to allow students and staff the opportunity to attend Crawford’s funeral. 

The announcement went on to say the school district is working with the church and would provide shuttle services from the high school and middle school campuses to the funeral location.

The district also announced that a School Closure Camp will be hosted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at Power Haus free of charge.

The funeral service for Crawford takes place at 11 a.m. Thursday on the soccer field at Oerter Park in Columbia. For his full obituary, click here.

With heavy hearts, the CHS soccer squad hosted Mascoutah in an emotional match Wednesday night that began with a tribute to Crawford.