Roadside Memorial for Brandon Teen Who Died in SUV Crash (Photos)

A roadside memorial stands along the shoulder of the road, just south of South Kings Avenue and Coppertree Circle, where Tyler Stich, 17, of Brandon, lost his life in a crash June 15.

Capturing the grief of friends and family, this makeshift memorial gives testament to a life well-lived and a boy deeply loved and missed.

A childhood baseball mit holds a small ball, and the promise from cousins, an aunt and others that Tyler never will be forgotten.

"Paradise Found," reads a sign at the base of a wooden cross, which bears the words: "At peace in our Father's arms, never more a tear, only happiness & love."

"I love u, u are always in my heart," reads another of the many testaments marked in black letters on the horizontal beam of the wooden cross.

"I miss you Tyler, you were a good friend," reads one of the many postings penned on the vertical beam of that same cross.

A lone red flower stands in a bouquet of freshly picked yellow and white ones.

A bag of pretzel M&M's sits next to the baseball mit and ball.

A Tampa Bay Times report on the accident involving the 1998 Ford Explorer notes that kids in Stich's neighborhood "knew him as the funny guy who loved to swim." In the words of those who knew him, Stich was "smart and knew his limits." Well-loved by everyone, Stich "was the apple of his grandmother's eye."

Stitch reportedly was studying culinary arts at the Hillsborough County School District's South County Career Center.

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From an earlier report:

Stich, 17, of Brandon, was the sole fatality when the SUV carrying six teens and a 9-year-old overturned where the roadside memorial stands, according to a video and news report from WTSP.com 10 News.

He reportedly was ejected from the sport-utility vehicle after it “left the road and overturned,” and then “landed on top of him, killing him instantly.”

Michael Kryder, 16, the driver, and the others in the vehicle suffered "only minor injuries," according to the report. Kryder had not been cited.

According to Beau Zimmer's 10 News report, investigators do not believe alcohol, speed or the day's rains played a role in the crash. "Instead they're saying it was probably the soft sand" along the shoulder of the road that led the teen driver to lose control and over-correct after the SUV barely left the road.

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• Teen Dies in SUV Crash on Kings Avenue