 His legacy |
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News articles
CIRCLEVILLE STUDENT, 17, KILLED IN ONE-CAR CRASH
Many friends of only child quickly gather to grieve with mother
By Kristy Eckert
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio -- Dustin Davis was an only child, so his friends were his brothers. Now, they must also be his mother's sons.
Davis, 17, was killed in a car crash early yesterday in Pickaway County. By 9 a.m., more than a dozen of his friends stood in Nancy Davis' backyard, rallying around her and grieving for her son.
The single mother used to gripe about the boys filling her living room, and would often ask them to use the basement.
"Now,'' she said yesterday, "I wouldn't have it any other way.''
Davis spent the night fishing with friends and was driving his green 1996 Honda Civic to another fishing hole just after midnight when the crash occurred.
He was driving about 70 mph and lost control on a curve on Chillicothe Pike near Williamsport, Sheriff Dwight Radcliff said. The car rolled and struck a utility pole.
Davis was pronounced dead at Berger Hospital in Circleville shortly after the crash. His passenger, Luke Scipione, 17, was flown to Ohio State University Medical Center, where he was listed in fair condition
yesterday afternoon.
Neither was wearing a seat belt, according to the sheriff's office. (11-13-05 this was found to not be true. Dustin was wearing his seatbelt. Nancy Davis)
Davis would have been a senior at Circleville High School next year. He had been taking high-school classes online because of a medical condition that caused migraines, his mother said.
But he had planned to return to the high school to finish his senior year with his friends.
Those friends painted Davis as a respectful young man who was passionate about the outdoors and his car.
Davis worked often on his car, with a need for speed and a top-notch sound system. But one glance inside showed the country in the boy: his fishing poles, a hatchet and a lantern.
"He was pretty much a country boy in a city boy's body,'' friend Ian Quincel said. "He hated being inside and sitting around.''
Nancy Davis sat at her kitchen table yesterday, flipping through photographs and recalling the easygoing guy who wanted everyone to be happy. He ate lunch daily with his grandparents, she said.
"Loved to play cards, fish, hunt . . . shoot pool,'' she said. "I was no challenge for him in pool. He would just laugh and laugh and laugh.''
Circleville schools will offer counselors from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. today and Friday at the high school.
They also will be available during visiting hours for Davis, from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday at Defenbaugh-Wise-Schoedinger Funeral Home.
Dispatch reporter Claire Cummings contributed to this story.
keckert@dispatch.com
Scholarship fund
Nancy Davis has established a scholarship in the name of her son, Dustin, that will go to a 2006 Circleville graduate. Donations can be sent to National City Bank, 136 E. Main St., Circleville 43113.
PALS PITCH IN TO HONOR TEEN
Benefit concert, carwash to help fund scholarship
By Mary Beth Lane
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio -- The friends of Dustin Davis promised his mother that they would raise money to honor his memory after the 17-year-old was killed in a car crash in Pickaway County. This weekend, they did just that.
A benefit concert Friday night and a carwash yesterday raised more than $1,500. The teenagers plan to give the proceeds to their friend's mother, Nancy Davis. She has established a fund in her son's name that
will award a scholarship to a 2006 Circleville High School graduate.
Soapy suds mixed with a few tears as friends lathered up cars for $5 each.
"We just want to let the community know what a great guy he was. We'll never forget him,'' said Megan Woods, a 17-year-old who will be a senior at Circleville High School.
Her voice trailed off as she began to cry.
Dustin Davis was killed in a car crash June 8. He had spent the night fishing and was driving his 1996 Honda Civic to another fishing hole just after midnight when the crash occurred.
He was driving about 70 mph and lost control on a curve on Chillicothe Pike near Williamsport. He was pronounced dead at Berger Hospital in Circleville shortly after the crash, and passenger Luke Scipione, 17, was flown to Ohio State University Medical Center. He has since recovered.
Davis would have been a senior at Circleville High School this fall. He had been taking classes online because of migraines, his mother said, but he planned to return to the high school to finish his senior year
with his friends.
The friends came out for him yesterday.
Such activities benefit the grieving teens as much as they do the family.
"It allows them to participate in doing something for the family, and then they are able to release some of their own feelings over the loss'' said Jan Morrison, a Columbus psychologist who works with teens dealing with grief.
"It gives them an outlet.''
Doing something as a group is also beneficial, Morrison said.
"They are experiencing their loss and their grief in a group experience. It allows them to not feel so alone in their grief and their loss.''
The psychologist could have been speaking for Jenna Beavers. The 17-year-old from Stoutsville in Fairfield County had been dating Davis for a year. Standing alongside Mrs. Davis yesterday, Beavers said she
welcomed participating in the carwash.
"It's better to be in a group than alone,'' she said.
Mrs. Davis, who is divorced from Dustin's father, Tony Davis, finds that although her only child is gone, she still has a house filled with teens. Since the car accident, several of the teen's friends stop by regularly to visit.
"These kids have been great,'' she said . "Teens get such a bad rap these days, and they have shown so much character. We've just been overwhelmed with the generosity. The parents of these children should
be so proud.''
Donations to the scholarship fund that Nancy Davis has established in the name of her son, Dustin Davis, may be sent to the National City Bank, 136 E. Main St., Circleville 43113.
mlane@dispatch.com
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2006 DUSTIN DAVIS SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Shane Stevens, Ian Quincel and Megan Woods.
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BE AN ORGAN DONOR!
I can remeber the conversation we had about being an organ donor. I didn't want him to be then I thought, go ahead, thinking I would never be faced with the task of donating my son's organs. He wanted it so badly and I finally agreed. Dustin still lives on in the lives of many people. He was a tissue donor and will save many lives because he was brave enough to make the decision. He is a Hero!
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DUSTY LOVED EVERYONE!
The song playing says it all. He loved everyone for who they were. He enjoyed people and life.
SHOW YOUR LOVE! TALK TO SOMEONE YOU HAVEN'T IN A LONG TIME!
PLEASE TELL YOUR PARENTS, CHILDREN AND FRIENDS THAT YOU LOVE THEM!
The last words Dusty said to me were, "Mom, Luke and I are going fishing, love ya." "Love you too." What beautiful words.
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A GOOD LISTENER
Dusty was a really good listener and often times helped others with their problems.
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Dustin did not play high school sports. All of his friends did and still do. He was there to support them. It was important to him to watch them play. He was proud of them all. He played baseball (6th grade) and football until High School. Many summer and fall days were filled with practice and games. In baseball he was a pitcher and 3rd baseman. He could really hit the grand slams. In football he was full back and linebacker...he could find his man and take'em down right now! He was agressive in football.
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