Thursday, August 26, 1999
Sea of friends mourn Ross teens
Services held for crash victims
BY TOM McCANN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
In an emotional, daylong chain of ceremonies Wednesday, the relatives and classmates of Adam Brinkman and Scott King finally laid their bodies to rest.
But the teen-age friends who knew them best were left to struggle with two deaths they weren't prepared to face — with their painful thoughts of the futures that vanished five days earlier when one of the boys lost control of their car on the way home from football practice at Ross High School.
“I keep looking at his pictures now,” said Mario Cad ena, 16, Scott's best friend from Rockcastle County High School in Mount Vernon, Ky. “He's all I can think about all day long. I can't imagine being around without him.”
Scott, 16, spent his freshman and sophomore years at Rockcastle High and had just transferred to Ross in late spring. When his old classmates heard the news, many broke down.
“There are 800 or 900 students who go here, and there isn't one who didn't know him,” said 15-year-old Cassie Smith, Scott's former girlfriend.
Cassie and Mario were among 10 people from Rockcastle High who drove 140 miles to attend his funeral.
Scott still kept in touch with them and wanted to return someday. He was a very popular and a very kind boy, they said, who made a deep impression on their lives.
“Before Scott, I was a really quiet, anti-social person. He taught me how to talk, how to make friends,” Mario said. “He was unbelievably popular, but he would be friends with anybody ... even unpopular people like me.”
The two had known each other since eighth grade. He was teaching Scott to play the guitar, and they wanted to form a garage band.
“He could be so sweet,” Cassie said. “I was sick with fevers a lot, and I wouldn't be able to sleep — but Scott would always sit by my bed and talk to me until I fell asleep.”
Scott broke up with her when he moved to Ross Township to live with his father, but she said they wanted to go to college together. Scott dreamed of a career in computers.
While Scott was just beginning to make friends in Ross Township, Adam had deep roots here. In high school, he had made many friends.
“He was very outgoing, always friendly; there was never a frown on his face,” said John Harris, 18, who had gone to school with Adam since fourth grade. “And he was awfully goofy. He'd always be dancing and messing around. He made everyone happy.”
Adam, 17, had not yet made up his mind about his future. He didn't know whether he wanted to go to college or enter the military. But he was a good student and was in the second year of an engineering design program.
Badin High School senior Zach Lorentsen went to grade school with Adam at Queen of Peace Catholic Church. He remembers Adam as a smart and sensible guy.
“I don't think he was hill-hopping. I know him, and he wouldn't do that,” he said. “I think it was just a sad accident.”
Police said the car Adam was driving was going 70 mph along a dangerous, hilly section of Kirchling Road. Another passenger, senior Kyle Herald, was injured in the crash. Residents say local youths sometimes intentionally drive at high speeds over such roads for the thrill of hill-hopping.
Since the accident, football player Dustin Huff said, his parents have asked him to slow down and wear his seat belt. He said he wouldn't be able to drive down Kirchling Road without thinking about his teammates.
Adam and Scott had not known each other long, but their love of football united them. Adam was in his first year on varsity, and teammates said he was in top form. Scott never could play football in Kentucky because he lived too far from the school. This was going to be his first year on a team.
“The one thing he loved was football,” Mario said. “If you tried to talk to him during a game, it was like you weren't there. He was mesmerized.”
And it is the football team that is taking the loss hardest. Crying among the mourners at Adam's funeral, they formed a block of maroon and gold in the church pews.
Senior Ben Alvis said the accident solidified an already close group of athletes.
“The team's more together now, more for each other,” Ben said. “It's still tough. We all let it out together. We was all crying. Seeing everyone together today ... it's sad. They were not here.”
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