JAMES CITY COUNTY, Va. — A family is mourning the loss of a 20-year-old who died Tuesday after being hit by a Freightliner on Richmond Rd. in James City County on Christmas Eve.
"We were certainly blessed to have him and I was blessed to meet the kid," Jerome Rhodes, of Warhill High School, said.
The kid Rhodes is talking about is Josh Barkley.
Rhodes coached Barkley out on the football field when he was in high school but now all he has are memories.
James City County police found Barkley on Richmond Rd. near Noah's Ark Veterinary Hospital just after midnight on Christmas Eve.
Police said he was on the road trying to grab a personal item and didn't see a semi-truck coming his way.
Barkley was flown to VCU Medical Center and was taken off of life support on Tuesday.
Barkley turned 20 on Christmas day.
His family said he graduated from Warhill High School in 2022 where he played football as an outside linebacker and defensive end.
"That kind of energy kind of popped off of him from the first time I met him," Rhodes said. "His play on the football field and his actions in practice were inspirational for the kids and the coaches. You could tell that he loved the sport and that he loved his teammates."
Others say Barkley was known for his hugs.
"I remember him with those tight hugs he gave everyone because that was his calling card," John Francisque who has known Barkley since he was 10 years old, said. "That was his way of expressing how he felt about you and I think that is the last memory of what we should all have of him."
Over the last few days, Francisque said he's thought hard about some of their last conversations.
"He told me about his girlfriend, that he was happy, things are beginning to happen for him in life and we were very optimistic about what the future would hold," Francisque said.
Part of that future was being a father.
Barkley's family said he was expecting a child with his girlfriend this February.
"There's no explanation for why these things happen but I like to think of it as someone else is watching above us," Francisque said. "Someone else is watching and helping to guide us to keep us safe and I guess god needed another angel."
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