HOLDEN - The number 33 was clearly seen around campus Monday, a familiar number on the Holden High School basketball court. It's a number that will now be retired out of respect for the young man who wore it.

Nathan Raymond, 16, died at the scene of a car crash along Highway 190 Sunday morning. Investigators say he was a passenger in a vehicle that veered off the road and hit a tree. 

Nathan's mother, Haley Wascom, says Nathan and four of his friends were on the way to a friend's house when it happened.

"We're all heartbroken. It's a tragedy. It's a loss, a big one," Wascom said.

Wascom says her son had a smile that would light up a room and an infectious personality that lifted the spirits of those around him.

"He's going to be very, very missed by not only his family but the whole community."

The news of Raymond's passing rocked the entire community. Roses were placed against the tree where the crash happened. Flowers adorn the desk in the classroom where Nathan once sat. Purple bows left on his locker from his friends.

Nathan’s coach, Landon Dubois, is still trying to understand the unthinkable.

"It's going to be a very tough thing. It was tough on me hearing the news. I've been with Nathan since he was in the 6th grade here," Dubois said.

His principal and classmates wore red, Nathan’s favorite color, to honor him.

"We're wearing red to honor Nathan. he just was a good well-rounded kid that every parent should be proud of," Kris Rountree said.