ONA, W.Va. — There will be heavy hearts among those on hand for tonight’s high school football game between Cabell Midland and Riverside. The student struck and killed on I-64 near the school has been identified as Caige Rider, 17, a senior who was a member of the Cabell Midland football team.
“My daughter and he were friends since pre-school. I’ve known his family for years. He was soft spoken and just a great kid who was well though of by all of his friends,” said Chris Tatum a member of the Cabell Midland sports broadcasting team.
Tonight’s game, is the final regular season game and it is senior night. Tatum expected there would be special tributes to Rider.
“People want to honor him and not that they are trying to move past it, but the way you deal with it is to get your family together. What better place to do that than to get the family together at the Castle, honor him, and win a ballgame,” Tatum said.
An investigation into the incident continues. According to Cabell County Sheriff Chuck Zerkle, Rider was involved in an altercation at school on Thursday which prompted his mother to come and check him out of school for the day. Once outside, he got out of her vehicle and ran toward the back side of the campus, across the football field, and onto the interstate.
According to the Sheriff a deputy happened to be in the area and spotted the teen as he came up over the guardrail. Zerkle couldn’t say for certain if he was trying to flee the deputy or just trying to get away from everybody, but he darted into the oncoming track and was struck by a passing vehicle on the busy interstate.