LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Raeshaun Cox said he could not believe it when he learned his close friend Chance Martin had died in a hit-and-run crash Sunday on High Street.
"I didn't believe it to be honest," Cox said. "I never expected it to be him."
The Fayette County Coroner's Office confirmed Martin died on the scene at 4:35 a.m. Sunday.
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Cox learned about Martin's passing through a group chat.
"I answered it and it was one of my other friends, and he was like, Raeshaun wake up, Chance is gone," Cox said.
Cox said he has not slept much in the past few days. The last time he saw Martin was two days before the crash.
Cox said he met Martin two days into his freshman year, and the two had been close ever since, playing football together at Holy Cross High School. To Cox, Martin was like family.
"I just have my younger sister, I don't have any brothers really, so he was like my younger brother," Cox said.
Cox described Martin as someone who had the ability to lift your spirits and was always willing to help.
"I didn't have a way to work like a week ago, so he sent my mom 20 bucks for some gas money to get me to work," Cox said.
Cox said he is already planning to get a tattoo in Martin's memory.
"He will never be forgotten about," Cox said. "I will make sure his name will be forever heard, always talked about. I want people to remember how good of a person he was, how funny of a guy he was. I want people when they think of Chance, they smile about it, and that they don't think of sadness. He was never sad."
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