Tragic story about former Kerry intern

[ProSense]

Promising youth dies in crash

Wilson youth William Neal, who won an unprecedented eight state Nordic skiing championships and served as a delegate to August’s Democratic National Convention, died Sunday after being hit by a car while he was roller-skiing in Maine.

The police department for Fort Fairfield, Maine, reported that Neal, 19, was killed Sunday night when he and a companion were training on North Caribou Road. Neal, who was traveling in the westbound lane, was struck from behind by driver Erik Lundquist, of Fort Fairfield.

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Neal’s death cut down a life brimming with athletic, academic and political promise. Neal drew the attention of Sen. John Kerry, for whom the youth interned during the spring.

“Willie was such a spectacular young man with so much passion for the environment and he was already turning that energy into activism,” Kerry said in an e-mail Monday. “I was blown away reading about the contributions he’d already made, let alone thinking about what he could have done. It’s just sickening to think about this tragedy.”

While working as an intern for Kerry, Neal researched and worked on environmental projects.

At 18, Neal served as a Wyoming delegate to the Democratic National Convention and supported Barack Obama. He championed efforts to combat climate change, working on a Web site — cookies4climatechange.org — and advocating for people not to let their cars idle while parked.

He won eight individual state Nordic racing titles – every one he could win – during the four years he raced for Jackson Hole High School, and he competed at the highest national and international levels for his age.

Tragic.

[JI7]

1. very sad , only 19 and had a record of so many accomplishments

[TayTay]

2. How awful. My deepest sympathies to his friends and family

IT is a very great honor to have a chance to work with all these promising young people who serve as interns. They continually reinvest life into the political process. It is through answering their questions, listening to their concerns and admiring their passion for causes that politics itself gets refreshed.

It is so sad to hear of a promising life cut so short. My deepest sympathies to his family and friends. We are a poorer place without people like this young, passionate student.

[wisteria]

3. So sad, a very promising young life cut short by tragedy. n/t