LAUREL — As the sun began to set Saturday evening at the Billings Skate Park, friends and family gathered to honor the life of a Laurel teenager whose life ended after a high-speed crash last week.
Listen to family remember Joshua's life:
Nearly 100 balloons lifted into the sky in honor of Joshua Redman, a 16-year-old his family describes as energetic, daring, and the kind of person who always made others smile.
“He always joined everyone together," said his cousin, Damien Nesbitt. "He was kind of like the glue in the middle for everyone.”
Redman’s family said he was always fearless and rarely sat still. He played football in eighth grade and wrestled through his freshman year. He spent much of his free time outdoors, including fishing, hiking, and hanging out with friends at the skate park or on the Rims.
“When he was around, you just, you're all happy. You're always doing something or going out. You always plan something," said cousin Devan Nesbitt. "He was actually way less scared to do things than I was. There was things that he would (do), no second thought, nothing. He would just go for it and repercussions later."
Redman’s older sister, 19-year-old Dezarae Nicodemous, was very close to him. She said he had a special way of lifting people's spirits.
“He'd bring something to light when, in the darkest times, it was just him," said Nicodemous.
But in the early morning hours of Feb. 27, the family’s lives changed. Nicodemous said her brother called her that night, asking for a ride home.
“He was at a friend's house, and he got uncomfortable," she recalled. "He called me. He's like, 'Hey, will you come pick me up?'"
A few minutes later, he called back to say he had already found a ride.
"He's like, 'I already got a ride from my girlfriend's brother-in-law. I'll be there, and I'll head into her house. I'll be there in about 15, 20 minutes. Call you when I get there. I have 7% (phone battery). I love you,'" Nicodemous repeated from the last phone call with her brother.
About two hours later, she received another call, but this time from their mother, telling her to get to the hospital.
Related: Teen passenger killed in Billings crash while fleeing Montana state trooper
According to the Montana Highway Patrol, Redman was a passenger in a Subaru Outback traveling nearly 100 mph in a 65 mph zone south of Billings when a trooper began pursuing the vehicle around 1:15 a.m.
Investigators said the vehicle later rolled over near the intersection of Blue Creek Road and Pryor Creek Road.
The driver, 22-year-old Hayden Michael Reyes, and another passenger were taken to Billings Clinic with injuries. Redman was taken to St. Vincent Healthcare, where he died from his injuries five days later.
“As soon as I seen what happened and how bad it was, it was just— I can't explain it. It was just like I broke down," said Nicodemous. "The entire room was just silent.”
Reyes now faces multiple felony criminal endangerment charges. His cousins said the anger that followed the crash has been difficult to process.
"To think about putting two people's lives, not just Josh's life, in your hands, and then taking Josh's life and having no remorse for it, I don't understand how people can not care so much about other people's lives," said Devan Nesbitt. "I mean, it sucks even worse. It just puts another dagger in your heart that you're already grieving from, so it really does suck.”
“I do think that he should be held responsible for the things that he did. If he isn't showing remorse now, why would he show it later?” added Damien Nesbitt.
For Redman’s family, the loss still feels unreal, and they say their home, which used to be filled with his energy, now feels different.
“It's not the same. It definitely isn't the same,” said Nicodemous.
"That's probably the hardest part is knowing that you can't just be one call away and be able to just do some random thing just to take the day away," said Damien Nesbitt.
Even now, reminders of him keep appearing. Nicodemous said Redman’s phone continues to receive messages from friends who miss him.
"We had it here last night, and there's like 100 messages when we woke up," she said.
While the grief remains heavy, Redman’s relatives said they are trying to focus on celebrating the life he lived. Several family members have even gotten tattoos referencing Joshua 1:9, a Bible verse that reads in part, “Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid.”
“This is where we need to come together. This is where we all have to be strong, is staying together as one family," said Damien Nesbitt.
While the family says the tragic loss is still impossible to fully explain, they're leaning on each other for support and remembering a life that was filled with joy and adventure, the best they can.
“I don't think you can really put it into words on how much everybody misses him," said Devan Nesbitt. “It's going to be really hard.”
A fundraiser has been set up to assist with the family's medical costs. To learn more about the fundraiser, click here.
