Matthew Swift-Kraemer, a 2007 graduate of Desert Vista High School, died Wednesday night after a major car incident last weekend that placed him on life support for almost a week.
Dr. Anna Battle, principal at Desert Vista, confirmed Wednesday that Swift-Kraemer suffered brain trauma from the incident that required life support.
Before graduating, Swift-Kraemer was a member of the championship cross country and track teams while at Desert Vista.
“Matt was an amazing sprinter as well as a top distance runner,” said Battle, who mentioned Swift-Kraemer went on to compete at the collegiate level.
His mother was also a longtime staff member at Mountain Pointe High School, according to Battle.
According to Swift-Kraemer’s Facebook profile, he was living in Pueblo, Colo., at the time of the incident where he attended Pueblo Community College and worked as an exercise instructor and lifeguard at a local YMCA.
It was unclear at the time of this report whether Swift-Kraemer’s car incident took place in Colorado or Arizona.
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