Community mourns standout Pershing senior killed in crash who was destined for greatness

DETROIT (FOX 2) - It was a life destined for greatness,  But in an instant, tragedy killed the hope and dreams of a life full of promise.

"He lettered in baseball, basketball and football cross country was Battalion Commander in ROTC, National Honor second-highest ACT in junior class," said Johnathon Matthews, Pershing principal. 

Monday night Pershing High School senior Ga'heime Griffin left his job at McDonald's. He was a passenger in a vehicle driven by a co-worker and classmate with another co-worker and classmate inside when suddenly the driver lost control of the vehicle near Joseph Campau and Carpenter and Ga'heime was killed 

"He was a young man making such a difference in the world," said Matthews. "I am not hurting just for myself but for the entire community. You think about everything he was doing, how he was overcoming every obstacle, he was overcoming coming from the east side of Detroit where sometimes people think there's no hope. He was that hope." 

His math teacher remembers how he inspired bot only his peers but even the teachers.

Ga'heime Griffin

"Ga'heime was the example," said Marlo Thigpen, math master teacher. "Not just for children, not for just adults. No matter what gender, no matter what race. Ga'heime was the example 

Ga'heime was so inspirational DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti took to Twitter to remember the young man with a heartfelt remembrance. 

"Pershing, our district, the city, and the world lost a special young man today," Vitti wrote. "If you didn't know him then I promise you that you would have by the time he reached his 20s." 

His classmates are also paying tribute 

"I never got the chance to tell him that I love him. I regret that," said Javier Stallworth

Ga'heime Griffin was also a standout athlete as well as student and person, his teachers and friends say.

School leaders say there's a lesson to learn even in a tragic circumstance.

"What they can learn from this, is that 'I should make a difference, I need to do that," said Matthews. "He did not just push himself, he also pushed his teammates, his fellow students, his teachers, his administrators. He pushed all of us to be better people."

To donate to the family, the school district has set up this page. CLICK HERE to help.