MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Hundreds of South Fork High School students in Martin County gathered to celebrate their graduation, but the milestone was shadowed by grief after an 18-year-old classmate was killed in a crash on his way to graduation practice.
Chris Brooks died before he could cross the stage with the class of 2026. While some students carried flowers in celebration, his closest friends carried flowers in mourning, leaving behind blooms and pictures memorializing their time together.
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Friends described Brooks as someone who was active in his church, competed on the bowling team, and had a big and infectious smile. His passion for cars had driven him to pursue college in Jacksonville, and he already had a full-time job lined up for his future.
His best friend, Rylan Morris, remembered him simply.
"He, he was a friend to everyone," Morris said.
The loss hit his closest friends hard. Morris reflected on a project the two had been working on together.
"We're building an engine right now, but what we were, but you know, I'll, I guess I'll have to finish that alone now," Morris said.
Friend Bryson echoed that grief.
"Me and my friends, we've been comforting each other all day, so it's, it's, it's still hard," Bryson said.
Friend Savannah described the pain of watching the graduation ceremony knowing Brooks should have been part of it.
"It's just heartbreaking that seeing these graduates walk in today, and knowing that that was supposed to be him walking in too to walk across the stage, and he was supposed to be here this morning to practice that, and it's just heartbreaking knowing that he's not going to be able to do that," Savannah said.
At every graduation, South Fork High School leaves an empty seat in recognition of Bulldogs who are no longer with the community. This year, that seat carries a deeper meaning.
The class of 2026 donated to the Elevate Hope charity in the superintendent's name. The charity said it is paying that donation forward to the Brooks family.
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