CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. β A basketball tournament will be held for the third year in memory of two Chesterfield teens who died in a 2023 crash, with money raised supporting scholarships that promote safe teen driving.
Will Hammitt and Nick Booth were killed in a high-speed crash on Old Gun Road in 2023. Since their deaths, the two families have become advocates for safe teen driving, taking part in campaigns with police and hosting an annual basketball tournament at James River High School.
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These friends were killed. Now their parents are speaking out.
The 3-on-3 tournament is scheduled for Jan. 2 and supports two college scholarships named after the boys. First awarded this past year, the scholarship requires a clean driving record and an essay on how applicants work with kids, something the boys did as camp counselors.
"It was an amazing group of teens, seniors, all with different aspirations, really great impacts on the community," Rebekah Hammitt said.
One of the recipients, Braedon Forrester, played lacrosse with Will and Nick.
"I remember all of us in the group just not thinking it was real," Forrester said. "We all wear our seatbelts, we all try and go within the speed limit. Those deaths that did not need to be caused, really impacted, just our mental status on how we like to drive."
This year, the families are expanding the scholarship from $2,500 to $5,000 and will ensure one goes to someone attending a trade school.
"We know a lot of kids are going in that direction, and they aren't necessarily supported, and trade schools cost money too," Hammitt said.
The families also installed a bench at Robious Landing Park in memory of the boys. The bench faces west, paying tribute to their love of sunsets, and carries the message "Drive Safely: Someone Loves You."
"It's a very easy way to say you need to think about the impact that you not driving safely every day has on your friends and your family," Hammitt said.
"It's really important. I mean, our hearts break every time we see another teen has died in an accident because it's such a preventable thing," she said.
The bench sits in a spot where both boys loved to visit on the James River.
"Both boys love to come to the James River. They would go camping with their friends at certain spots around the James River. It's just a nice, peaceful spot," Hammitt said.
"For two young kids with so much potential to die in such a preventable way, is heartbreaking. So it's a good place to ponder what they would be doing and what they could have been but also to think about how important it is to continue to spread this message and try to save other parents the heartbreak," she said.
This year's tournament is still seeking support. The deadline for sponsors is tonight, and organizers are looking for more teams with a deadline of Dec. 30.
For more information, click here.
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