He was headed west about 8:40 p.m. when he drove off the right side of the roadway, then came back onto the road, where he lost control and went back off the right side of the road and struck a tree, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Springfield Post.
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The Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Pleasant Twp. Fire and EMS and Harmony Twp. Fire and EMS assisted at the scene, according to the highway patrol.
Cordell was wearing his seat belt. The crash remains under investigation, troopers said.
Aaron Huffman of Huffman Tree Co. had employed Cordell since he turned 18 and has been a family friend for years. Cordell was a hard worker, he said.
“He was a good, honest, caring person,” Huffman said. “He would always hustle. I would ask him to go get something and he would run to go get it.”
Huffman said Cordell always expressed interest in working for the tree service, and was beginning a career that he loved.
“He was kind of learning to climb and the beginning stages to climb trees,” Huffman said. “I started him out as a ground worker. I had taken him up in a tree a couple of times to be able to work in the trees.”
Huffman said he will always remember Cordell and his death is tragic.
A GoFundMe account was setup to help the family pay for funeral expenses. The link to the account is www.gofundme.com/luke-cordell-memorial.
Northeastern High School and the Springfield-Clark CTC are currently on break, but both opened on Thursday and offered grief counselors to students.
“It’s difficult whenever a student passes away but it is even double when it is something sudden and tragic like a car accident,” Northeastern Superintendent John Kronour said. “We are going to do our best to support our kids and our prayers and thoughts go out to the family.”
The district released a statement as well.
“Luke will be dearly missed at Northeastern and we extend our thoughts and prayers to the Cordell Family, the CTC and all of Luke’s family and friends,” the statement says.
Cordell was a wrestler at the high school. Kronour said Cordell’s mother also works in the district.
“It’s especially tragic on our end,” he said.
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