Crash claims life of beloved TC West alum

Travis Snyder, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
·3 min read

May 5—TRAVERSE CITY — The death of Sam DeKuiper in a head-on crash on County Road 633 late Friday afternoon stunned many in the Traverse City area Saturday as word of the tragedy spread.

DeKuiper, 22, a celebrated student-athlete at Traverse City West High School, graduated in 2019 and went on to Lawrence Technological University where he earned a bachelor of engineering/mechanical engineering degree. He had been working as a design engineer at Thompson Retractor in Grawn.

The collision occurred on a curving, hilly portion of the road when the southbound Ford Taurus was struck by a northbound pickup driven by a 26-year-old man from Imlay City, the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office reported.

Capt. Brandon Brinks said their initial investigation indicates the northbound pickup struck the car; the collision occurred in the southbound lane. All five occupants in the pickup were seriously injured and taken to Munson Medical Center, sheriff's deputies said.

The crash sparked a fire that incinerated the pickup and spread in the grass to the ditch, sending up plumes of black smoke that could be seen for miles.

Brinks said no residences were in danger from the flames. The fire departments "did a really good job of managing the scene, putting the fire out, and getting the people that needed emergency help to the hospital."

At this point, the sheriff's office Accident Investigation Team could not say whether speed or alcohol were a factor in the crash.

DeKuiper, a beloved student and athlete at Traverse City West High School, played quarterback for the Titans football team and pitched for the school's baseball team. After graduating in 2019, he went on to play four years of baseball at Lawrence Tech until he graduated in 2023.

In a Facebook post Saturday morning, the Traverse City West Baseball team called DeKuiper a "phenomenal athlete and even better human being," with "a work ethic that exceeded his peers."

Tim Wooer, DeKuiper's football coach at TC West and now Kingsley's head coach, posted on Facebook that he was still in shock. "Sam was, in one word, class," Wooer wrote. "A young man you would want your own daughter to date. Kind, conscientious, hard-working, polite ... all the intangibles. ... Give hugs to your loved ones today."

Jason Morrow, former defensive coach at TC West, wrote, "There are no words that will make sense of this to me. Grateful to know and experience teaching/coaching this incredible human. You spend your career trying to help people grow to become better, but sometimes you come across people that motivate you to be better. This is Sam."

Traverse City West High School Athletic Director Jason Carmien said, "He was always there for others, through thick and thin. Our community is sad, because the type of person he was is rare. He brought out the best of those around him."

On Saturday, the TC West baseball team held a moment of silence to honor DeKuiper. Then Matt Bocian, varsity head coach for the TC West baseball team, offered the following statement to commemorate the young man's life for all in attendance: "The difference between good players and great players is that great players make those around them better ... and that's exactly what Sam did."