On December 2, 2006, seventeen-year-old Reid Hollister died as a result of a one-vehicle crash into the guard rail of I-84 in Connecticut. His two passengers, also of West Harford, sustained injuries, but survived. Reid lost control of his vehicle as a result of distracted driving at approximately 9:28 pm the previous night. Speed and wet conditions were contributing factors to the accident.
Reid was a student-athlete at the Kingswood-Oxford school in West Hartford, where he enjoyed soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. His family and friends remember him for his gift for caring and nurturing children, especially at the Asylum Hill Congregational Church and at Camp Renaissance, where he served as a counselor. Reid was a tremendous musician and an even better friend. He possessed a happy-go-lucky attitude, a sense of humor, and deep loyalty to those whom he loved.
Reid left behind his parents, Ellen and Tim, his sister, Martha, and countless friends and family. As a result of personal tragedy, Tim Hollister, Reid’s dad, was inspired to become an advocate for safer teen driving. Tim served on a Connecticut state task force that overhauled the state’s teen driver laws, including a revision and strengthening of the GDL laws. Tim next launched “From Reid’s Dad”, a blog for parents about safe teen driving. Most recently, he published a guidebook for parents who are teaching their children to drive called Not So Fast: Parenting Your Teen Through the Dangers of Driving. He has appeared on national and regional media to speak about safer teen driving.
http://youtu.be/5KLii3Mhkps
