Family of Teen Killed by Car Requests Donation to Dutchess School

Classmates and friends mourning a young skateboarding teen who was killed in a horrific car accident are being asked to remember him with donations to a Hudson Valley school.

Tragedy struck on Thursday when 18-year-old Gerrin Hagen was out skateboarding. According to LIHerald, Hagen was struck while on his skateboard by a 2012 Honda Pilot driven by another teenager. Hagen was rushed to the hospital where he was treated for his injuries and was listed in critical condition. On Friday, the teen was pronounced dead. According to reports, the 19-year-old driver stayed at the scene of the accident.

Hagen is remembered by his school district as "a great student, a good athlete, and a good friend to many." The New York Rangers even paid tribute to the Long Island teen, who was the captain of his high school ice hockey team, by observing a moment of silence before their game on Sunday.

The obituary for Hagen says that the young man left behind his parents and a sibling as well as a devoted girlfriend. Services are being held in Hagen's hometown of Hicksville on Monday and Tuesday followed by a funeral mass on Wednesday.

In Lieu of flowers, the family is asking mourners to make donations to the Anderson Center for Autism in Staatsburg. It's unclear what the family's connection to the school is, but the Anderson School has been operating in the Hudson Valley since the 1920s and is renowned for its mission to "optimize the quality of life for individuals with autism."

Donations can be made on the school's website.