LAKE ASBURY, Fla – The tight-knit Lake Asbury community remains heartbroken by the loss of a 14-year-old who died in an e-bike crash on Sandridge Road last week.
Carson Farias will be laid to rest on Friday during a 2 p.m. memorial service at Russell Funeral Home in Green Cove Springs.
The teen died after he was hit on June 11 by a 16-year-old driver while stopping on his small electric dirt bike on Sandridge Road, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The e-bike had no lights, and Farias was not wearing a helmet, according to the crash report.
On Sunday, dozens of students, parents, and neighbors gathered with candles in hand and poster boards filled with handwritten messages outside Lake Asbury Junior High School to remember Farias and support one another.
Carson’s mother, Megan Farias, confirmed her son’s identity in a Facebook post, writing: “There are no words that can truly express the pain our family is feeling right now. Carson was deeply loved and will forever remain in our hearts.”
Courtney Bailey, a parent whose daughter attends Lake Asbury Junior High, helped organize the Sunday vigil after reaching out to some of Carson’s friends.
“Whether you knew him or knew his family — just seeing all the rest of the kids grieve, it’s definitely tough,” Bailey said. “It’s been an emotional week for everybody.”
Bailey said she did not know Carson personally but felt compelled to create a space for his closest friends to come together.
“My daughter goes to the junior high, and they have a lot of mutual friends,” she said. “I just wanted to set something up for his close friends to write a message on a poster board to his mom.”
Two days after Carson’s death, a neighbor posted in a local Facebook group asking the community to show up at Lake Asbury Junior High to light candles, share memories, and support one another. The response online translated directly into the crowd that gathered Saturday evening.
“It just started as something for all his friends to come together — to show each other that they’re supported and that they’re loved,” Bailey said. “And it just grew within the community.”
The poster boards filled with messages were delivered to Carson’s mother.
The Clay County School District also shared a statement about Carson’s death:
“Clay County District Schools is deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of a student who attended Lake Asbury Junior High School. Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to the student’s family, friends, and the entire Lake Asbury community during this unimaginably difficult time.
To support our school community as they process this devastating news, the district has deployed grief counselors and student support resources. Counselors will be available on-site at Lake Asbury Junior High School starting on Monday, June 15th, to assist any students, staff, or family members in need of comfort and guidance."
A GoFundMe has been created to help the family with funeral expenses.