'The world is worse without him': Over 500 attend candlelight vigil for NSB junior Siddharth Sukhdeo
"The world is worse without him."
That's what a fellow classmate of 17-year-old Siddharth Sukhdeo who was killed early Sunday morning after his parent's car was rear ended, said Thursday night during a community candlelight vigil.
Over 500 people turned up at the Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach on Thursday night to remember and celebrate Siddharth, who was a junior at New Smyrna Beach High School.
Siddharth was a major part of the school's band and the vigil was organized by the local band booster club.
And this isn't the first gathering of support for the family. On April 5, roughly 200 people attended a vigil at Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach, where Siddharth's mother was being treated for her injuries following the crash.
Siddharth's father, Satesh Sukhdeo, was in attendance Thursday night, accepting hugs from everyone he could.
"It's overwhelming, the support and the people he's touched in his life, this is a result of that, every person he touched," Sukhdeo said. "I had to come personally to say hello to everyone and greet each and every person who has taken the time, because my son would have done that."
At 8:17 p.m., everyone in attendance either lit a candle or held up their phone's flashlight. The lights stayed on for 17 minutes, one minute for every year Siddharth lived. Near the end of the 17 minutes, everyone gathered in a large group around the New Smyrna Beach High School Band, who chanted a goodbye to their classmate.
After 17 minutes, everyone extinguished their light.
"I'm really gonna miss him," could be heard across groups of clustered students who attended to remember their classmate and friend.
The crash
Siddharth and his parents were on their way back from Orlando when they were struck from behind by a pickup at 3:41 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of State Road 44 and Interstate 95, police said.
Siddharth, who was in the backseat of their Honda Odyssey van, died at the scene. Sukhdeo, who was driving was uninjured, but his wife was transported in critical condition to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach, where she's since undergone surgery for eight shattered ribs.
"She's doing much better tonight. Still a lot of pain," Sukhdeo said Thursday night. "A little journey ahead of us physically, emotionally. Just taking it one day at a time."
The driver of the pickup, Michael Miles, 32, was arrested on charges of DUI manslaughter, DUI, DUI with property damage, DUI causing serious bodily injury to another, driving with a suspended license and refusing to submit to testing.
When New Smyrna Beach police officers arriving at the scene of the crash they said Miles smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech, bloodshot eyes and was unsteady on his feet.
Earlier this week, Miles posted $150,000 bond and was released from jail. But on Wednesday, Judge Karen Foxman revoked Miles' bond and he was taken back into custody, according to the State Attorney's Office.
"We sincerely hope that this ruling gives some peace to the victim’s family who is struggling with the loss of a child and injuries to a wife and mother," the State Attorney's Office posted on their twitter page.
Rose Traud, who has known the Sukhdeo family since 1992, has started a gofundme campaign to help pay for Siddharth's mother's medical expenses. As of Friday morning, nearly $8,900 had been raised.
Whatever money is leftover will go towards creating a scholarship for students in Siddharth's honor.
"This will also give his (mother) a purpose to work towards helping another child go to achieve their goals throughout their life," Traud said. "This should have never happened. We are devastated for the family because these are our people. Our kids. You don't do that. This doesn't happen to us."
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Remembering Siddharth
Siddharth was a very loved teen, who played the violin, viola and trumpet brilliantly, according to friends and family.
Dennis Scaccia, band director at New Smyrna Beach High School, said "Sidd" was an amazing student.
"He was one of those top students you wish you had 200 of them," Scaccia said. "He was a high achiever, doing well in all his classes, honors classes."
Siddharth was principal viola player, in the top four violin players and the third highest trumpet player in the county, accordant to Scaccia.
"Two weeks ago he performed a difficult trumpet solo at state from memory and received a superior with distinction award," Scaccia said. "College professors that just heard him play once, call and ask him what they could do."
Students gathered in clusters with their candles sharing memories of Siddharth. In every group, Siddharth was called "talented," "amazing," "nice," "friendly," "a good person," and someone who would "always say hi" in the hallways.
Scaccia said the over 500 people in attendance Thursday was a testament to how special Siddharth was.
"He was one of those rare people in the short time that he was here on earth that touched more lives than most normal people during their lifetime," he said.
Nikki Ross covers K-12 education, health and COVID-19 for the Daytona Beach News-Journal. She can be reached at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @nikkiinreallife.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Over 500 attend candlelight vigil for NSB junior Siddharth Sukhdeo
