York mourns Brian Kenealy, 1 of 4 Maine Maritime students killed in crash: 'He was a leader'

YORK, Maine — The community is mourning the loss of 20-year-old Brian Kenealy, who was one of four Maine Maritime Academy classmates killed in a car crash Saturday morning in Castine, Maine.

“This news has shaken up our town,” said Scott Cogger, a retired York school resource officer who watched Kenealy grow up. Kenealy graduated from York High School in 2021 and was a member of the school’s varsity soccer team. He was remembered by the school community as a strong leader and a dedicated friend.

Kenealy was one of four passengers killed when a 2013 Range Rover driven by Joshua Goncalves-Radding, 20, of North Babylon, New York, crashed into a tree and burst into flames early Saturday. Also killed were Chase Fossett, 21, of Gardiner, Maine; Luke Simpson, 22, of Rockport, Massachusetts; and Riley Ignacio-Cameron, 20, of Aquinnah, Massachusetts. Three others, including Goncalves-Radding, survived and were taken to local hospitals.

State police are investigating the cause of the crash.

A candlelight vigil was held Sunday night at the school for the four who died, attended by several hundred students, faculty and local residents.

Jerry Paul, president of Maine Maritime Academy, addressed the somber event on the lawn of Leavitt Hall after spending much of the day checking in on grief-stricken students.

"Mourn these young men in their memory. We will never forget them nor this moment in the history of Maine Maritime Academy. They were lost way too soon and before their watch was over. We will carry on for them and at the appropriate time ring eight bells in their honor," Paul said.

The striking of eight bells is a sea tradition honoring someone who died.

‘Brian will be greatly missed’ in York

In York, Kenealy’s death has devastated the school community who remember him for his character on and off the soccer field and his kindness as a friend.

York Superintendent Lou Goscinski called Kenealy “an outstanding student-athlete who was beloved by his classmates, faculty and staff.” He said Kenealy took his skills to the maritime academy where he continued to excel academically and on the soccer field.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Brian’s family and all who knew and loved him,” Goscinski said. “Brian will be greatly missed.”

He said the York School Department will have counselors available to support students and school employees in coping with Kenealy’s loss.

Boys soccer coach Julie Johnson said Kenealy was “fearless” on the soccer field. He always showed up to every workout opportunity with the team, including virtual workouts in his senior year when the COVID-19 pandemic had canceled their season, she said.

“He came to everything,” Johnson said. “He was a leader.”

Johnson said Kenealy’s friendships with his teammates and classmates were evident. She said he had grown up with a tight-knit group of friends who played soccer and spent much of their time together.

“I don’t think you’d get that kind of love from your teammates and your classmates without being really special, and he definitely was,” Johnson said.

Alex Neilson, also a 2021 classmate and goalie alongside Kenealy, called him “a great friend” and said he would miss him.”

“Brian always knew how to make someone laugh no matter the mood they were in,” said Neilson, who grew up in the same neighborhood as Kenealy.

Johnson, who also served as an advisor to Kenealy, said he expressed interest in a maritime career when the topic of life after high school came up. Kenealy always had a love of being around the water, from jumping off cliffs and bridges to working on boats, according to Neilson and mutual friends Quenton Convery and Rhys Evans. He also loved playing Spikeball, a game that involves spiking a ball into a net that can be played in the water, Neilson said.

“He was very hard working and put his all into the things he loved,” Neilson said.

Cogger, a longtime D.A.R.E. officer in the York school system, said he knew Kenealy and his siblings and said all of the kids were “polite, smart and heading the right direction.” He said Kenealy was well-liked by all kids, most recently seeking Kenealy working over the summer at the Cliff House in Cape Neddick.

“I remember Brian as a great young man. Handsome. Always smiling. A leader but also quiet at times,” Cogger said. “I describe the last two days as days ‘very difficult to smile.’”

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Brian Kenealy of York among 4 Maine Maritime students killed in crash