CHULA VISTA, (Calif.) — It was an emotional night Wednesday in east Chula Vista, as members of the Eastlake community gathered to remember a young man who brought so much joy as a baseball player.
Micah Pietila-Wiggs died in a car crash early Saturday morning. He was 21 years old.
At Wednesday night's event, the community heard from a number of speakers that included Pietila-Wiggs' friends, former teammates, and coaches.
The speakers talked about Pietila-Wiggs' personality, his laugh, how he made everyone feel like a best friend, and of course, his athletic ability.
Pietila-Wiggs' father spoke last at the vigil, through tears, remembering his last conversation with his son the day before the crash.
“It ended with the words, I love you son, and Micah responded with, 'I love you too, dad.' Those are the last words we ever said to each other,” Steve Wiggs said.
Steve Wiggs says the family was big on ending every conversation with a meaningful "I love you," and says that and with his son, it was always special.
“With Micah, every moment was so rich, every time we saw each other, every time we said goodbye we made sure it was a good thorough full goodbye sealed with a hug and a kiss on the cheek,” said Wiggs.
The vigil ended with a 21-second standing ovation, one second for every year of Micah's life.
A Mealtrain and fundraising page have been set up for the family, if you’d like to donate, click here.
