'A friend to everyone': Friends remember South Fork High School student killed in car crash

Friends gathered outside of South Fork High School in Stuart Thursday night to remember a student killed in a car crash earlier that morning.Eighteen-year-old Chris Brooks had been driving to the school to participate in practice for graduation ceremonies Thursday.Brooks was part of the class that graduated."It's just heartbreaking seeing these graduates walk in today and knowing that was supposed to be him walking in, too," Savannah Morris, a friend of Brooks, said. During the graduation, there was an empty seat decorated with a flower, a cap and a gown.It's something South Fork does every year to remember students who didn't make it to graduation.This year, the chair was adorned with extra flowers and notes dedicated to Brooks. "There are no perfect words for a loss like this. As a school family, we are grieving together," a school official said during the ceremony. Outside the school, Brooks' friends from his church youth group talked about the young man they lost."He was a friend to everyone," Ryland Morris said. "He was always cracking jokes." "He truly was super sweet. He was a sweetheart. He was very kind, always looking out for others," Savannah Morris said. "Chris was a great guy, always making us laugh," Bryson Keith, another friend, said. Friends described Brooks as someone who loved spending time with others, whether it was going to the beach, bowling, or playing board games. He also had a passion for cars. "We're building an engine right now. Well, we were. But I guess I'll have to finish that alone now," Ryland Morris said. "He was an important guy to me. He wasn't just a friend. He was really important. I was wanting to keep growing with him, too. I wanted to keep going," Keith said. Though Brooks' friends and loved ones will continue without him, they promise to keep his memory alive. "I just want to remember him always being there to make people smile," Ryland Morris said. "That was him. He had a big heart. And he was very important to me and my friends," Savannah Morris said.