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SOUTHBURY The 17-year-old Pomperaug High School student killed in a rollover crash Monday night is remembered by loved ones as an athletic and talented young man with a wide variety of interests.

Ryan Anthony Rutledge died at the scene of a single-vehicle crash on Roxbury Road after the 2020 Jeep Wrangler he was driving went over a wire cable guardrail and crashed down an embankment.

Our community is hurting, Pomperaug High School Principal Paul Jones said Wednesday morning. Ryan was a great young man and (his death) is a huge loss.

Another Pomperaug student a 16-year-old girl from Woodbury was seriously injured in the crash and transported to Waterbury Hospital. A GoFundMe started Wednesday morning to help the hospitalized teen has raised more than $27,000.

Police said she and Rutledge were both ejected from the Jeep after it veered off Roxbury Road, crashed through a wire rope guide rail and went down an embankment into the Pomperaug River.

This tragic event has impacted our whole school community, Jones said.

Rutledge was a junior at Pomperaug High School, where he not only participated in several sports including football, lacrosse, skiing, weight-lifting and golf but was also enrolled in AP courses and achieving high honors, according to his obituary.

Jones said Rutledge was not only a great student and friend, but a hard-working, positive and caring person.

We all loved the dedication that Ryan brought to every situation, he said. He always had a smile and genuinely cared about those around him. It was through this humble spirit and that infectious smile that he was able to leave such a lasting mark on our school community.

Jones said Rutledge represented the best of Pomperaug and it was an honor to watch him grow.

We know that the leadership Ryan gave will continue to positively impact his peers in the classroom, on the football or lacrosse fields, and in our community as a whole, he said.

Rutledges family described him in the obituary as a master chess player, who also could play several instruments, solve a Rubiks Cube in seconds and enjoyed watching and investing in the stock market, saltwater fishing, sailing, snowmobiling and playing Xbox.

Ryan was loved vehemently by everyone who knew him, and he will be missed by many classmates, teammates, and friends, his obituary states.

In the wake of Monday nights tragedy, Pomperaug High School has made counselors, social worker and psychologists available to students in need of support. Jones said the school has also contacted a regional crisis team for additional support.

We will continue to support our students, staff and school community over the coming days, he said.

Rutledges wake will take place Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church, and a privately held burial is scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m.

The fatal Monday night crash remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call the Southbury Police Department at 203-264-5912.

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Teenager killed in crash, a chess master, musician and investor, 'represented the best of Pomperaug' - The Wilton Bulletin