Article updated at 10:43 a.m. Monday:
The man who died from his injuries following a crash just after midnight on New Year’s Day was 20-year-old James Henderson Jr., of Lawrence, according to police.
Henderson was in an eastbound vehicle in the 2500 block of West Sixth Street around 12:15 a.m. Saturday. Police said preliminary information indicated that a westbound vehicle went left of center and struck the eastbound vehicle.
Two others in the vehicle Henderson was riding suffered suspected serious injuries, Lt. David Ernst of the Lawrence Police Department said previously. The person in westbound vehicle suffered what were believed to be minor injuries, Ernst said. All four were taken to hospitals by ambulance.
“Driver impairment is being investigated as a contributing factor of the accident,” Ernst said over the weekend.
A GoFundMe has been set up to assist Henderson’s family with funeral expenses. That’s at this link.
According to the fundraiser, Henderson was the only son of Jim and Carrie Henderson.
“For people who knew James he was always taller than expected when meeting, and never seemed to stop growing,” the fundraiser page says. “Just your typical young 20yr old man living life and putting a smile on everyone’s face.”
The fundraiser, created Sunday afternoon, had already reached its goal of $5,000 by Monday morning, including an anonymous donation of $1,000.
“The family is humbled and grateful and amazed at the love and caring from all of you!” Taylor Griggs, who posted the fundraiser, wrote in an update Monday. “Let’s leave this goal amount the same – because it just shows this family how much love and care is overflowing to them from humanity – all of the family, friends, and even strangers!”
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