ORONO, Minn — In a tight-knit town where pain reverberates, candles now light the way to the Knudson home—the same house 17-year-old Luke Knudson came home to every day.
The Orono High School senior died Sunday night after crashing into a traffic light off a Minnetonka highway. His vehicle burst into flames. Flowers and a letter of support for his family now sit at the same intersection.
Loved ones remember Luke as someone full of life and love.
"I think anybody that met Luke, the first thing [they'd] say is he was really full of energy," his mother Renae Rhude-Knudson said on Tuesday. "He cared about other people."
In some ways, Luke was an ordinary kid. "He loved dogs, he loved going to the cabin." In other ways, Rhude-Knudson said her son was extraordinary. "He was just really, really kindhearted, really funny, really witty and really was happy for other people when good things happened to them."
Funny, smart and compassionate, Rhude-Knudson said Luke was devoted to his family, friends and basketball. He was looking forward to his final high school basketball season alongside his best friends.
"We love Lucas with our whole heart, and he loved us back and he's going to be dearly missed," Orono High School head basketball coach Barry Wohler said.
Wohler emphasized that this season will be dedicated to Luke. The first team practice is planned for Tuesday after being canceled Monday afternoon.
"Yesterday was a really tough day," Wohler added. "I was just meeting with some of the players now, and it's been a tough day again today. A lot of tears."
Wohler said he and the players are trying to heal together and be strong for one another. Rhude-Knudson said it's what her son would want them and others to do.
"Just like I told the boys last night: everybody's going to be sad, and the sadness is going to come in waves. Just make sure that you keep going," she said. "He'd want you to keep going."
Rhude-Knudson said a family trip to Kenya and subsequent leadership class project inspired Luke to connect with the nonprofit the Samburu Project, which builds hand-pump wells for people in Samburu who do not have access to clean water. She said Luke was working on the project the night he passed away. His family plans to continue his work with the organization and make a difference in Luke's honor.