‘He never knew a stranger’: Father remembers son killed in motorcycle crash days after Christmas

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray News) - A beloved father, son and U.S. Army veteran was killed just three days after Christmas, leaving hundreds in the Tallahassee community heartbroken.

Chandler Dawson was just 23 years old when he died at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, hours after a motorcycle crash on West Tennessee Street on Dec. 28.

His father, Andrew Dawson, sat down with WCTV to talk about his son and the outpouring of support the family has received following the tragedy.

“It’s a minute-by-minute journey,” Andrew Dawson said.

After doctors told him his son wouldn’t make it, Andrew Dawson sat by his son’s hospital bed.

“I had a conversation with him. I said, ‘Son, if God is calling you home, we’ll be OK. Just go,’” he recalled.

Andrew Dawson is an associate pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church. His strong faith has helped guide him through an unthinkable few weeks.

“I can be thankful for the amazing way he lived his life,” Andrew Dawson said.

During this sudden journey of grief, Andrew Dawson discovered something extraordinary. He hadn’t before realized just how many lives Chandler Dawson had touched.

“As parents, sometimes we miss the impact our children have had on people, or on a community or on the world in general,” he said. “I have been completely blown away by what my son had done in his short time on Earth.”

Whether it was playing for the 2019 Florida High state runner-up football team, or during his nearly three years of service stationed at Fort Wainwright in Alaska, Chandler Dawson loved serving as a mentor. He was someone who could serve as a welcoming face during a trying time.

“He was such a kind loving person. He never knew a stranger. He just loved people,” Andrew Dawson said.

Chandler Dawson leaves behind a fiancé, a young daughter and a new son who is due this spring. A GoFundMe page set up to support the family raised thousands of dollars in just the first week.

“We’ve been completely blown away by the community’s support,” Andrew Dawson said.

The family says their aching hearts are filled with gratitude, knowing their faith and their community will steer them through a terrible tragedy.