Penfield, N.Y. - One teenager is dead after his car crashed into a utility pole and burst into flames on Jackson Road in Penfield, according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
He has been identified at David J. Groff, 19, of Route 96, Clifton Springs, N.Y.
When deputies arrived, they found the driver had been ejected, but was still in close proximity to the burning vehicle. They moved him away from the vehicle, but discovered he was already deceased.
His sister said David loved working at Abercrombie and Fitch in the Eastview Mall in Victor. "We would also like to say that he was a kind, independent young man with untapped potential to conquer life," said his sister Stephanie Groff. "Words can not describe how much love his friends and family have for him and will miss him."
Groff was a 2010 graduate of Midlakes High School.
"David was a kind spirited individual who shared his talents in our theatre program and our percussion ensemble," Superintendent Mike Ford in a statement to 13WHAM. "He also competed on our track team. The ensemble will dedicate the remainder of their season to David’s memory. Our thoughts are with his mother, father, brother and sister."
13WHAM spoke to Groff's former theater director who says David was a nice young man with lots of talent.
"Even in the chorus he had that smile, he had that glow when he was doing a show," said Keith Childs. "He had potential to do almost anything that he wanted to do and that’s where I remember him," Childs said.
