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The victim in a fatal SUV-versus-pedestrian collision on Interstate 680 in San Ramon the day before Thanksgiving has been identified as Samuel Grumet — a 17-year-old high school student known as a skilled lacrosse player and an aspiring Navy SEAL according to posts from friends and family on social media.
Grumet, of San Ramon, was pronounced dead at the scene after being struck by a Subaru Crosstrek while he was traveling on foot in the southbound lane of I-680 south of Crow Canyon Road at approximately 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 27. The Contra Costa County Coroner’s Division confirmed his identity on Monday.
With the driver remaining on the scene and cooperating when police arrived, California Highway Patrol Officer Tyler Hahn said that the agency’s investigation was primarily completed in the immediate aftermath of the crash. He said it remains unclear why Grumet was traveling by foot on the freeway predawn that morning.
Grumet’s former lacrosse team at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita posted about his death on Instagram on Friday, saying that he will be “deeply missed”.
“With heavy hearts we say goodbye,” the Saugus lacrosse team said. “Sam left an indelible mark on our team. We are grateful for the time we had with him and will cherish his memory. His talent and kindness will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”
Grumet’s relatives also announced the news and their heartbreak over his death on social media in the days since the collision.
“It has been a completely heartbreaking time for our family,” his grandmother, Kristen Rawls Grumet, said on Facebook on Friday. ” He was such an exceptional young man and we loved him so much and were so proud of him.”
According to comments from his aunt, Jennifer Grumet, that his grandmother shared, Grumet’s 18th birthday was this month, after which he had been eager to begin training for the Navy SEALs in the summer, having earned one of the highest scores on the entrance test she said.
“He was so excited about serving his country and I can’t overstate how proud I am of his accomplishments,” Jennifer Grumet said in remarks shared by her mother-in-law.
According to his aunt, Grumet was adopted from Ethiopia 14 years ago, shortly before his fourth birthday.
“He was loved by the Tefere family first, and then loved by ours too,” Jennifer Grumet said. “Heaven has gained one really amazing new arrival. I hope he knows how much he is missed.”
Thank you for the update.