Lancaster: A Community Left Heartbroken Following Fatal Hit And Run

Thursday night an accident about a half-mile from my house took the life of one of my daughter's classmates. 14-year-old Bryce Buchholz was killed by a man who police allege struck the boy on Lake Avenue in Lancaster after an evening of drinking, and then sped away leaving the friends who were with Bryce and nearby residents to rush to help.

Stories like this are always heartbreaking, but the pain runs so much deeper when it touches you so personally. My daughter knew Bryce through school and religion class.  Jenna and Bryce were both 8th graders at Lancaster Middle School.  Although they weren't close friends, Jenna still cried her eyes out Friday morning as she got ready for school remembering the few encounters she had with Bryce.

Facebook was filled with comments from Bryce's classmates and the parents of other Lancaster Kids. One classmate wrote "It's gonna be hard looking at ur empty chair in science. R.I.P Bryce u will be missed." Others remembered Bryce's smiling personality and talked about wearing orange in his memory because it was his favorite color. Many asked for prayers for him and his family.

Lancaster Middle School was quiet on Friday. Students consoled each other, I bet many were still in shock.  Teachers allowed the kid’s time to grieve together over the loss of their classmate.

Students and parents gathered at the crash site after school and then again on Friday night at 8:30, the time of the accident the night before. They hugged, they prayed and they cried.

We are left heartbroken. Our hearts ache for Bryce and his family. Such a needless, senseless tragedy so close to home. It could have happened to anybody, anywhere... but this time it happened here. The driver of the vehicle that struck Bryce changed the course of so many lives. There are no words to truly express our sympathy to Bryce's family. There are no words to describe the feelings that encompass a community after such a horrendous tragedy.

As we grieve, everyone is asking how do we keep this from happening again and again? I'm not sure if there's an answer to that question either, but I would like to see us all try to figure it out.

Man follows accused hit and run driver: wivb.com