CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WTVR) - A service celebrating the life of 18-year-old Cosby High School student Tyler Patnaude is scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Clover Hill Assembly of God in Midlothian.
Patnaude was killed when the car he was a passenger in hit a tree late Friday near his Woodlake home. Three other individuals were in the car at the time of the crash. All are recovering from non-life threatening injuries.
For students at Cosby High, Monday was the first day back. Counselors, a moment of silence, even a large poster helped friends grieve.
"Every second counts, you never know," Payge Patnaude said.
CBS 6 caught up with Patnaude at the site of her brother's crash Monday afternoon.
"I hope this makes a difference in how people drive and how people treat each other," Patnaude added.
Meanwhile police are continuing their investigation into the crash.
CBS 6 has learned the driver, who is 17, is preparing for surgery on Tuesday.
Robbie Holtzman, a friend of Tyler's, said the young men were heading back from a gas station during the time of the crash.
"They were going to the gas station to get energy drinks for someone sister's birthday," Holtzman said.
Presently, no charges have been filed against the driver.
The Virginia Department or Motor Vehicles says crashes like Patnaude's only occurred six times last year in Virginia. Specifically meaning a crash in which a teenage passenger was killed while a teenage driver was behind the wheel.
John Saunders, a DMV director, said the crash raises awareness about the need for safety for teenage drivers.
New laws passed in 2013, make it so 17-year-old drivers can generally only have one teenage passenger in their car if they have had their license less than a year.
Teens that age can have no more than three teenage passengers in their car, if they have had their license for over a year.
"We want them to focus on the task of driving," Saunders said while speaking about the law.
While its unclear how long the driver in this crash had his license, it is clear that what happened remains on friends minds.
"I am amazed at how people come together," Payge Patnaude said, emphasizing that the family's faith in God is getting them through this difficult time.
