19-year-old TR student dies in Fort Worth wreck

Andrew Grimes, an energetic TR student, was killed Sept. 21 in a one-car accident.
Photo courtesy Stevan Grimes
TR student Andrew Grimes was killed Sept. 21 after his car hit a traffic control signal box at the intersection of Hemphill Street and West Vickery Boulevard in downtown Fort Worth.

Grimes died at 1:17 p.m. at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office.

Grimes, who was 19, was attending his first semester at TCC to pursue a degree in business management specializing in hotel management.

Grimes was born Oct. 30, 1992, in Detroit, two months after Hurricane Andrew hit the Florida Coast.

“Sometimes I would call him Hurricane Andrew because he was always into something,” said Andrew’s father, Stevan Grimes.

Andrew Grimes was described as always bubbly, energetic and the life of the party.

“He always kept you smiling and laughing,” said David Brymer, a friend of Grimes since sixth grade. “All he ever wanted to do was for everyone to get along and kick it.”

Stevan Grimes said his son was always doing something challenging. He was active in many sports from taekwondo, baseball, football, skateboarding to disc golf.

He played baseball since he was 6 and wore number 11 on the Texas Cobras baseball team this season. The Cobras threw their first pitch out of respect for their lost teammate at their Sunday game.

“No matter what team Andrew played for, he was always number 11,” Stevan Grimes said.

Grimes was an avid skateboarder and videographer. He was even sponsored by the apparel company PacSun. He always had his backpack, camera and skateboard with him so he could film and upload his videos to YouTube.

“His favorite spot to skate was at the Tindall Warehouse with his friends,” his father said.

Grimes had many friends and several best friends who flooded his Facebook wall with videos, pictures and memories.

“It’s tough when you know you lost a best friend,” TR student Loris Memic said.

—Elaine Bonilla