CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — Friends and family of Kylie Dorsman are mourning the loss of the Hickory High graduate. Her obituary says she passed away after a tragic car accident. Fire crews and a water rescue team tried to save her life Wednesday night after her car went into a Chesapeake lake.
As her family plans a celebration of life for her later this week, they are also celebrating what should be her birthday. Dorsman would have turned 22 years old on this Christmas Day.
“It’s not just a friend that we lost. We lost a family member, [a] best friend,” said one of Dorsman’s close friends Addison Miller.
Miller spoke with 10 On Your Side about how they are remembering Dorsman. She said Dorsman loved cheerleading, trips to the ocean and traveling. Miller describes Dorsman as a bright light to everyone.
“Kiley was a cheerleader,” Miller said. “She loved [to] cheer. You know, that’s what she lived for growing up was cheerleading. And, you know, I would get her to do some, you know, crazy activities with me, like, you know, we would ride four wheelers together and, you know, she would get so excited every time.”
Police, family and friends are still left wondering why the crash happened. Some, like Miller, are still making trips to the memorial site.
“I went and sat out there for probably 30 minutes just talking to her, you know, trying to wrap my head around it,” Miller said.
An obituary for Dorsman reads, she leaves behind her parents, a younger brother and numerous other relatives. She was attending Radford University with aspirations to join law enforcement, wanting to someday become a Chesapeake police officer. Beyond goals in life, she is fondly remembered for being a dedicated friend to many, inspiring others to live life to the fullest.
“Kylie was the type of person that you could text and say, ‘Hey, do you want to go to somewhere that’s five hours away?’ And she would say yes.” Miller said. “She has a laugh that you can hear from rooms away and same with her voice. If you heard her voice you would say, “Oh, that’s Kiley.” She just brought light to everyone.”
A celebration of life service will be held in Chesapeake this Thursday. It will be live streamed Oman Funeral Homes. A GoFundMe page to help the Dorsman family has already raised more than $18,000 as of Monday, far surpassing the $10,000 goal.