On Sunday night, Griffin Moody was finishing a long day at the beach with three others as a passenger in the car of a Nease, Florida, friend.
Moody was joined by friends Meghan Thoebald and her sisters Mary and Claire Crean as Theobald made a left onto Murabella Parkway from SR 16 into the path of an oncoming 2010 Nissan Frontier around 8 p.m.
The impact of both cars after the turn would leave the vehicles mangled and five of the six involved injured. Moody, the sixth, would not make it.
A medical helicopter was called to the scene to assist ambulances in sending the five others to the hospital after Lisa Phillips, a witness to the accident, immediately called 911 and waited for emergency vehicles to arrive.
“Being there and seeing it – it was absolutely devastating,” said Phillips.
The 18-year-old, 19 in November, however, died at the scene.
A friend of one of the Nease High School students involved in the crash, Victoria Bolena, said the high school held a prayer session to aid in the recovery of the victims’ friends, including Moody.
“Sweetest boy in the world, someone you would want to introduce to your parents,” Bolena said of the college freshman.
Griffin Moody was in the computer engineering program at UCF. He began his first semester of college in August.
Griffin is survived by his loving parents Ken and Cindy Moody; brother, Cason Moody; sister, Leah Moody; grandparents, Richard and Barbara Urban, Tom and Melba Moody and Jimmy and Barbara Orr; and many other loving family members and friends.
“Griffin loved life and had a huge heart. He always managed to put a smile everyone’s face. He was taken too soon with so much more to give this world,” his obituary reads.
A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00am, Friday, Sept. 16, 2016, in Christ Episcopal Church of Ponte Vedra Beach followed by a reception. The family encourages visitors to wear blue as Griffin’s life is celebrated. Visitation will be held from 6:00pm to 8:00pm, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016, in the chapel of Quinn-Shalz Funeral Home.
one the last SnapChats from teens Sunday before crash claimed life of Nease grad, Griffin Moody @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/8SjSMZIgg7
— Lorena Inclán (@LorenaANjax) September 12, 2016
Story published pending confirmation from the University of Central Florida.
