Cassidy Ringwald (1992-2010)

Cassidy was the loving and beloved son of Mary and Scott Ringwald, and brother of Whitney Ringwald. A 2010 graduate of Terra Nova High School, Cassidy was killed by a hit-and-run driver August 26, 2010, while walking with his sister in Cedar Mill.

Cassidy's photo from the Terra Nova Community Farm website, tncfarm.org

Cassidy was part of the farm project at Terra Nova from its inception in September 2008. Farm manager Paul Hudak remembers him as an avid basketball player. "We often played as a team-building activity, and it was just one of many passions he had. He was an amazing young man, with varied interests that included music and comparative religion. He was a deep thinker, and was eager to explore and question everything."

Hudak says that although Cassidy was skeptical about the farm project at first, he became committed to it and had come out to volunteer several times during the summer, including on the day he was killed. He and the students in the project are still in shock over the accident. Hudak said he'd been excited to see where Cassidy would go with his life, because his intelligence and passion were remarkable. "He went way too soon," Hudak said.

Cassidy and his sister were walking down 119th to visit friends. A car going southbound apparently swerved from the narrow roadway and struck him from behind. He was thrown 15-20 feet and landed unconscious in the roadway.

There were several witnesses to the accident, and others stopped and administered CPR until emergency crews arrived. He was taken to Legacy Emanuel but died later that night. The family said that his liver and both kidneys were donated and the three recipients are doing well.

Washington County Sheriff's spokesman Sergeant David Thompson says that a young woman came forward that evening and indicated that she was the person who had hit him. She has not been arrested, although her vehicle, a Toyota pickup, was seized for evidence.

Many people are wondering why she wasn't arrested right away. Thompson explained, "When someone is killed by a driver, we have to prove that they were doing something illegal at the time—reckless driving, DUII or some other type of criminal negligence—for them to be held criminally responsible for the death. We are doing all we can to make sure that justice is served. There will likely be some activity by the week after next."

Although he would not get specific about the investigation, he did say that the possibility that the driver might have been texting was one of the theories they are looking into, and presumably they are getting her cell phone records.

The Cassidy Ringwald Memorial Fund has been established in his memory to help offset college costs for Terra Nova graduates. Donations can be made at any Wells Fargo branch.

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