Young baseball coach remembers teen killed while riding his bike home – WPXI

Lina PortmanMay 28, 2024

0 2 minutes read

FREEPORT, Pa. — 13-year-old Dylan Tarbi is remembered for the impact he left as a boy scout, boxer and baseball fan after he was killed after being struck by a truck while was riding his bike this weekend.

Freeport Area youth baseball assistant coach Eric Westendorf said Tarbi loved the game and played hard.

“Very shy at the plate, dropped a lot of balls,” Westendorf said. “He was always happy to contribute, to be part of the team.”

Westendorf coached Tarbi on the field for about five years and admired his drive for the game.

“He worked harder than anyone,” Westendorf said. “He was extremely fast. It was a kid that we would send him – on the first pitch – to steal the next base because there weren't many catchers around here that could throw him out. He was so fast.

The versatile Freeport Area Middle School student-athlete was also an excellent cross-country runner.

“He had just broken the school record for the mile for the seventh grade,” Westendorf said.

Tarbi's speed led his youth baseball team to a victory Thursday night.

“We were down 4-1 and he scored one of the points that ultimately came back to help us win the game 6-4,” Westendorf said. “[It was] another one of those moments where we got to see that beautiful electric smile.

Thursday's match was Tarbi's last before his tragic accident.

The seventh grader was struck and killed by a van on Cole Road as the sun was setting Friday evening, May 24.

The Buffalo Township Police Department said Tarbi and his friend were riding their bikes home when they were struck by the truck. The truck driver said he didn't see the teens because of the bright sun. The other young person, aged 13, was not seriously injured.

Westendorf said Tarbi's smile and energy won't soon be forgotten.

“Prayers to the family and prayers to the driver of the vehicle,” he said. “The family carries a very heavy burden. I'm sure this driver is too. But our community is great. We have mobilized families before and we will do it again.

The coach told Channel 11 that Tarbi's classmates planned to wear his number 88 to school on Tuesday.

Regarding the investigation, Buffalo Township Police Chief Tim Derringer said he does not believe speed played a role in the crash, but the investigation is still ongoing. . The driver is not facing any charges at this time.

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