Cloie Sandlin

News Editor

On the night of August 2, the students at Mesa State College lost a fellow schoolmate and loved one.

Rebekah “Bekah” Joy King died in a car crash while she was on her way to meet some friends at the Ale House, located on the corner of F road and 12th Street. The collision occurred at Placer Street and F Road. Her car was hit on the driver’s side by a suspected drunk driver in a pickup truck without its headlights on.

According to the Daily Sentinel, the driver was Henry Stoltman, 28, Grand Junction. A Mesa County Sheriff’s deputy and a Colorado State Patrol trooper both spotted Stoltman’s truck before the accident. The trooper turned on his overhead lights and was attempting to pull the truck over when the crash occurred. Police said that King did not see Stoltman coming without his headlights on.

Bekah’s mother, Debbie King said that the deputy was with Bekah within seconds of the crash and said there was no pulse at that time.

King said, “The last time I saw her [Bekah] was around 9:35 p.m. and she was happy and perky, excited to meet some friends at the Ale House.” Her mother added that the last text on Bekah’s phone was, ‘Be there in about 10 minutes.’

Bekah’s friend, Nicole Skaff, said, “It’s hard to believe that you’re texting someone 20 minutes before they are no longer here. It makes it so unreal to me.”

Besides being a student at Mesa State College, Bekah also worked at Cabela’s in Mesa Mall. 

Tara Liddicoat, Bekah’s friend and coworker, was one of the people waiting at the Ale House for Bekah to arrive. When her friend never showed up, Liddicoat and the other people she was with went to retrace her steps and go look for her. They saw the accident on F Road but could not get any information from the police about who was involved. Liddicoat called her friend’s father, who worked for the sheriff’s department. After waiting a while, she heard back from him about the crash. 

The entire Cabela’s staff attended the service while the company sent a staff in from Utah to cover for them.

“Not a lot of people know this but those workers in Utah volunteered to come here for us,” Liddicoat said. “The company did a lot. It brought us closer together.” 

Besides attending the service, Bekah’s coworkers also put together several mementoes for the family including an autographed Cabela’s shirt filled with quotes and signatures. Some employees also wear flowers on their shirts in her memory.

“She was quirky and very caring,” said Bekah’s friend and coworker, Zach Gardner. “She was someone you couldn’t help but love.”

Mondays are also now called “Mix-match Mondays” in honor of Bekah.

“She would always come in almost every day with mix-matched socks,” Liddicoat said. 

“She drew you in. I felt like I had known her since birth. I can honestly say that she was one of my best friends.”

Multiple memorials and services were held in Bekah’s memory. Friends and family gathered together at the First Presbyterian Church on the following Saturday to remember Bekah’s life. 

“The service was incredible,” Skaff said. “It was supposed to be a celebration of her life. There were many tears but also so many people shared funny stories about Bekah that truly reflected the spunky girl she was.”

Bekah King’s loving spirit made an impact on many lives. Over 400 people filled the pews of the church to remember her.

Bekah’s former co-workers at Applebee’s held a candlelight vigil in the parking lot in her memory the following night.

On Facebook is a group called “Remembering Bekah King” that has space for people to share their comments, pictures and memories with those who loved Bekah. Her personal Facebook page is used for a similar purpose.

People who knew Bekah described her as kind, artistic and creative.

“Bekah was into dance and she was planning on taking mainly dance classes at Mesa State,” Skaff said. “She hadn’t fully decided what she wanted to do, other than dance.”

Gardner said that Bekah used to dance as she took corners through the aisles at Cabela’s.

“She was a great girl,” said a manager at Cabela’s. “She was one of the most friendly people I’ve ever met. She brightened everything up.”

It’s hard for people to go on after they have lost a loved one. But Bekah King impacted the lives of so many people and brought out the best in them.

“I think everyone’s doing a lot better,” said Liddicoat. “At first, I felt anger and sadness for what happened. But after talking to Bekah’s father, if he can forgive, then so can I.”

 

ccsandli@mesastate.edu