Fort Gibson Family Devastated After Losing Their 15-Year-Old Son 3 Weeks Before His Birthday

A Fort Gibson family is devastated after their 15-year-old son, Isaih Atwood, was killed in a car crash Tuesday night.

His 16th birthday is the day after Christmas, and his family says he couldn't wait to start driving.

Isaih Atwood's family says he was funny and liked to make people laugh and was full of energy.

"He was beautiful and happy, so full of life and so ready to drive," Teler Akers, Isaih's Mother said.

Teler was just a teenager when she had Isaih, and now she can't believe the baby she had when she was a child is gone.

"I had him when I was 16 years old," she said. "I was just a baby, you know? He helped me grow up; he helped me get through everything. He was my reason for living, you know?"

He was a sophomore at Fort Gibson High School, where students say Isaih was a great kid.

"He always brought joy to the room, I mean everyone loved him around school," Eli Hazen, a senior at Fort Gibson High School said.

His Aunt Tapha knows exactly what Eli means.

"It was his face, he had this off the wall hair cut that was fluffy and bright red, and he had the cutest freckles, and he always did this little side smirk, and he could just walk in, and you could tell his energy and the way he would walk was always peppy and steppy," she said.

Tapha says in everything she did, she wanted to set an example for her nephew.

"Saturday is his funeral. I was supposed to walk across the stage with my bachelor’s degree that same day, but instead, I’m going to be burying my nephew, and I just want him to know that even though he'll never get a high school graduation that I’m going to go get my master's for him," Tapha said.

Police say was a passenger in a car and wasn't wearing a seatbelt when the driver crashed.

Teler hopes her son's death will send people a message.

"Wear your seatbelt and tell your mom you love them every time you leave because maybe, just maybe, if you wear your seatbelt, you'll go home," Teler said.

There will be a viewing for Isaih on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Garrett Funeral Home in Muskogee and a funeral at noon on Saturday at the First Baptist Church in Fort Gibson.

Isaih's family has set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for his funeral expenses. You can donate here.