The Grand Rapids Ultimate Frisbee community is mourning the loss of two of its biggest names, killed in a tragic accident along I-96 near Ionia.

MLive reported this week that 29-year-old Kevin 'Sass' Coulter and 28-year-old Drew Piet were on their way to a practice in Detroit for the pro team the Detroit Mechanix Saturday, when their car was rear ended on I-96 near M-66. They were slowing down for a traffic delay, while the car behind them did not.

Also killed in the crash was Michael Cannon of Harbor Springs, who was also a player for the Mechanix. He was 24.

In a memorial held Monday night in Grand Rapids, many of the 60 members of the GR Ultimate Club came together to honor their fallen friends.

State Police says distracted driving was a contributing factor in the crash, which occurred in the early evening Saturday. A Detroit man responsible for hitting their car was unharmed.

At the memorial, the mother of Piet urged friends and family of the men not to drive distracted.

"My heart is broken and will never be the same again,” she told them.

“It’s just really cool,” said Steve Coulter, Kevin Coulter’s father. “I think it helps the healing process when family members like me see all the ultimate Frisbee members come together, and that it truly is a real community.”

Bongiovanni described her son as a great friend, a great son and an infectious source of positivity. She said her son donating his organs was just part of who he was -- a giving person.

Steve Coulter described his son as funny and gregarious and someone who always loved to help and teach others.

“It’s hard, because you don’t know careerwise what he would have done and how he would have affected people, but it would’ve been something that helped society, helped the world,” he said. “I am going to miss Kevin so much. He was just so full of life and full of energy.”

Ultimate Frisbee is played on a soccer field, with players advancing the frisbee up field by a series of passes. The sport is popular in Grand Rapids.

 

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