An athlete from Columbia Central High School, Dylan Hammond, passed away in a tragic accident on Interstate 77 in Carroll County, Virginia, on Sunday morning, November 30, 2025, at the young age of 26.
Dylan’s girlfriend of almost 2 years, Kayla Carroll, was also in the car with him during the crash, but luckily, she survived.
Sadly, he died just 4 days before celebrating his 2nd anniversary with Kayla. The couple had been dating since December 5, 2023.
Following his tragic passing, Kayla took to her Facebook, writing a tribute post, which reads:
Dylan, you are the love of my life and I miss you so much already… you always make me feel like a princess. my heart is shattered and I want more than anything to hold you again… please visit me in my dreams every night my love, and make sure before you leave you kiss me 3 times because once is never enough. I love you.
Kayla Carroll
Besides Kayla, Dylan Hammond is survived by his mother, Angie Navarro Bame, his best friends, Dalton Tiell and Charles John, and his extended family members.
Angie, his mother, broke her silence on his death, writing:
You are my world!! I miss you so much
Angie Navarro Bame
I am speechless! Dylan Hammond you are perfect in every way, I am so proud to call you my son
She also updated her profile picture to one featuring him. Apart from that, Angie hasn’t shared any further details as she is still processing the unprecedented loss.
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Reportedly, the tragic accident happened just after 5 a.m. near mile marker 8, only a few miles north of the North Carolina line.
The roads were slick from wintry weather that had moved into the area overnight. Police say a pickup truck was going north in the left lane when it slammed into the back of a tractor-trailer. The truck then slid off the road and ended up in the median.
Right after that, Dylan was driving his 2020 Tesla in the left lane. He started to move over to the right lane, hit a second tractor-trailer, then bounced back into the left lane and crashed into the first tractor-trailer.
Firefighters had to cut him out of the car, but sadly, he succumbed to the injuries sustained in the accident despite wearing his seatbelt.
A few other people were hurt and taken to nearby hospitals. However, none of the injuries were life-threatening.
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Dylan grew up in Fostoria, Ohio, and had been living in Columbus. For the past 9 years, he has worked at Pastimes Pub & Grill.
He started at their Crosswoods location, later moved to Grandview, and most recently was helping run the Hilliard spot.
His heartbroken coworkers from Pastimes set up a GoFundMe campaign to help his family with funeral costs.
His best friend Dalton Tiell wrote online that Dylan was like a brother to him. They had just talked a week earlier, and Dylan was excited about the future.
Dylan was a cat person who loved his cats and talked about them all the time.
Thus far, details surrounding his funeral and memorial haven’t been published by his family.
During this difficult time, we pray for the strength of Dylan’s mother, girlfriend, friends, teammates, and extended family.
Rest In Heavenly Peace, Dylan Hammond!
