LAKEWOOD, Colo. — The Colorado fencing community is in mourning after an accomplished wheelchair fencer was killed in a hit-and-run in Lakewood Friday night. Terre Engdahl was a parafencer and competed with the Denver Fencing Center where he won several awards.
"Even though he's gone, I have a smile on my face, because you can't help it when you think about every time he walked in the door," said Jataya Taylor, a friend of Engdahl's and fellow parafencer.
Taylor and Engdahl met a year and a half ago when Taylor began training as a wheelchair fencer. A Marine veteran, Taylor lost her leg in a training accident.
After meeting Engdahl on her first day at the center, Taylor said he freely shared with her his fencing wheelchair.
"Our chairs are a part of our personality and we get protective over our adaptive equipment," said Taylor. "But Terre's like, ‘No, you sit in it, you fence!' He was always willing to share anything he had.”
Taylor found out about Engdahl's death Saturday morning from their coach Nathan Anderson. She said his passing was extra painful since the driver fled the scene.
"They have no idea what they took away from his family, from us as a fencing family, from the community, and all the joy he brought to others," said Taylor.
With the upcoming para-nationals and Paralympic trials, Taylor said the team is now focused on honoring Engdahl's memory.
"None of us have an excuse not to be there, because he would be there if he could," said Taylor.
The Lakewood Police Department is searching for the driver who fatally struck Engdahl. The crash happened around 7:27 p.m. near the intersection of Kipling Street and West 23rd Avenue.
Lakewood
Lakewood police searching for driver who fatally struck pedestrian then took off
The driver of a 2014 Chevrolet Camaro with Colorado license plate DWB-P87 took off west on W. 23rd Avenue after the crash, according to Lakewood police.
A Medina Alert was issued Saturday afternoon for the 2014 Camaro, which police said sustained heavy front-end damage and will be missing the driver’s side headlight.
Anyone with information is asked to call Lakewood police at 303-987-7300 or Metro Denver Crime Stopper at 720-913-7867.
