Mother celebrates son’s graduation after deadly crash

CHARLOTTE — Tametrice Griffin said she is going to treat graduation season as if her son Daunte Palmer wasn’t killed on Jan. 17 in a chain-reaction crash on East W.T. Harris Boulevard near East Independence Boulevard.

“Yes, I wish I could have had the experience of him being here and wondering how far he would have went,” Griffin said. “I still have some family coming in as if we’re going to go to the graduation together and at the end, we’re going to all be together.”

As Griffin celebrates her son’s posthumous graduation from North Mecklenburg High School, she recently received mementos.

The school framed his cap and gown.

“This let me know how many kids he touched, and they took the time to want to write on his cap,” she said.

Griffin also has Palmer’s diploma, which shows he earned the credits he needed before the deadly wreck.

“I was waiting on this,” she said.

Griffin said she will also be at graduation Saturday where Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials said there will be a chair to honor Palmer.

“I have been looking forward to it. It’s an honor,” Griffin said. “I’m going in there with pride, and I know when I hear his name, I’m just going to flow with happy tears.”

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department charged a juvenile for causing the crash.

“I have no bitterness, the way my heart is, the way I carry myself,” Griffin said.

“My prayers are with them, every time I come out here, I remember,” said Jorge Diaz, who lives in front of the crash scene where Palmer’s family and friends created a memorial.

“We just heard a loud bang,” Diaz said. “I just saw a gentleman just laying out on the road, car was split in half.”

Diaz said he relied on his faith.

“I’m a believer so I talked to the brother when he came out and prayed with him for a moment,” Diaz said.

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Griffin’s faith has also carried her through the tragedy and will stay that way at the graduation.

“Spiritually, I would say he’s right there, he’s right there, ‘I got it, I told you,’” Griffin said.

North Meck’s graduation will be held at noon on Saturday at the UNC Charlotte Halton Arena.

Click here for the district’s graduation schedule.

VIDEO: ‘God has him’: Mother reflects on life since tragic loss of son in deadly southeast Charlotte crash

‘God has him’: Mother reflects on life since tragic loss of son in deadly southeast Charlotte crash

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