More than 100 people attended a vigil Wednesday to honor a young man killed in a motorcycle crash in Carlsbad and support his family.
Justin Litwin, 24, of Oceanside was killed March 30 when he drove his motorcycle into a curb on Gateway Road and El Fuerte Street, according to Carlsbad Police.
At the vigil, Litwin's family received heartfelt support as the community grieved the loss of their son.
"It's devastating to our family. I don't know what I'm going to do without my son," said Stephen Litwin, reflecting on the loss of his only son.
Justin's mother is fighting cancer, recently undergoing treatment. Despite this hardship, she managed to attend his vigil knowing that it's what he would have wanted.
"He was my best friend. We're only 14 months apart so we grew up really, really close," explained Justin’s sister, Danielle.
Danielle told NBC 7 that above all, she'll miss Justin's smile.
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"The way he smiles, he has this funny, quirky half smile," she said. "It's just in every single picture that you see of him. I get that in my head all the time and I just think I'll never see that smile again."
Childhood friends and family members lighted candles in Justin's honor. They remembered the wonderful life he led.
Justin graduated from UC San Diego with a mechanical engineering degree in 2015, earning top grades in his studies.
He had recently started his dream job at ViaSat, where his family says he enjoyed many opportunities in a short period of time.
Justin had started dating his best friend since middle school, according to his GoFundMe page.
"To have this happen, he just got this great job and had just met what would’ve been, I think, his wife. A woman that he’s just was totally in love with, that he's known since seventh grade," explained Justin’s father, Stephen.
The impact Justin had on many is clear.
