Life of high school wrestler celebrated at Collier fairgrounds

Family and friends honored the life of wrestler Colby Singeltary at the Collier County fairgrounds Saturday night. The Palmetto Ridge High School student died in a car crash on Golden Gate Boulevard last weekend.

About 1,000 people are inside a barn on the fairgrounds to celebrate Singletary, a young man family and people say was the center of their community.

Singletary died in a single-vehicle crash when Florida Highway Patrol said his car went over a median and hit a tree. Officials say he was not wearing his seat belt and found no sign of alcohol involved. Alexis Renner, 17, was in the passenger seat during the crash and was taken to a hospital in serious condition. There are no current updates on her status since the crash.

Singletary was a rising athletic star at Palmetto Ridge. His teammates and coach said he always lit up a room, and his peers aspired to be like him.

“He was a really good person, even better teammate,” Nate Perez said. “And it sucks to know that he’s gone now.”

The event ran until 7 p.m. and was open to the public for anyone wanting to honor his legacy.

“It’s our turn to make you proud of us, as we are proud of you,” Singletary’s mother said in front of the everyone gathered. “Rest in peace my son. Until we meet again, I will live like Colby.”

MORE:

• SWFL wrestling community mourns loss of Naples teen
• Teen killed, another in serious condition after crash on Golden Gate Blvd in Collier County