CALDWELL, Idaho — Caden Samples was killed on Sunday night after being hit by a car while jogging near the intersection of Karcher and Indiana in Canyon County.
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Caden would have been a junior this year at Vallivue High, who starts the school year next Wednesday in the aftermath of this tragedy.
"He was a huge part of our community he had tons of friends," said Vallivue's Wrestling Coach Nash Johnson. "He was kind of, the type of kid that was friends with everybody, he would get along with just about anybody he would come in contact with."
Caden Samples kept busy. He worked at Subway, participated in orchestra and student council, but he also had a passion for sports, as he competed in cross country, track and wrestling for the school.
"He started wrestling to see if it was harder then cross country," said Nash, who coached Caden during his first year of wrestling as a sophomore. "He was a really hard worker. He just loved the grind and the physical toughness of sports. That was one of the reasons he wanted to try wrestling, and he probably would have grown into being a leader of the team."
Vallivue has a memorial near the football stadium with flowers, notes, and prayers. Students will have counselors available if they need someone to talk to, as this will be a tough way to start the year.
"We have great counselors," said Nash. "They are the ones talking to students and teachers who are having a hard time, so their doors are open for kids to talk."
Caden's cross country friends started a Go Fund Me Page to help Caden's family, and so far they have raised more then $10,000. Here is the link if you want to contribute.
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There's no doubt that Caden Samples will be missed by the Vallivue community and it has been a difficult moving forward. But Caden's friends, teachers and family will always remember him for being a bright light.
"He was just one of those kids you could talk to for 30 seconds in the hallway and walk away feeling a lot happier and better about your day," said Nash. "He just had that effect on people."
