Parrish Community High senior remembered for ‘big heart’ after fatal motorcycle crash
Max Alexander Peugh lived a life of adventure, filling his days with skateboarding, snowboarding and riding his new motorcycle.
Peugh celebrated his 18th birthday by taking a motorcycle safety course to earn his license, fulfilling his longtime dream of owning a bike.
“He was ecstatic because he wasn’t expecting it. He’d been hounding me about wanting a bike for a long time,” Max’s father, Terry Peugh said.
But just months later, that dream and his life were cut short in a tragic accident that left his family and friends devastated.
Max, a senior at Parrish Community High School, died on Nov. 19 after the Florida Highway Patrol says he collided with a truck while riding his motorcycle near the intersection of U.S. 301 and 116th Ave. E. in East Manatee County. Troopers say Max crashed into the side of the truck’s trailer before being thrown from the bike. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
But it’s the amount of people Max touched with his life that has stood out to his father. Terry said more than 100 people attended his son’s celebration of life, where family and friends gathered to share stories, memories and their love for Max.
Family and friends mourn Parrish teen
“(Max had) just the biggest heart. I mean, he just cared for everybody and it shows. OK, and this is not just a dad speaking on his son. I am overwhelmed with the love that has been given out to my son and this has been happening all these years and I just didn’t know,” Terry said.
The outpouring of support from family, friends and the community has been “unbelievable,” Terry said.
At a roadside memorial dedicated to Max in Parrish, dozens of bunches of colorful flowers were mingled with photos of happy memories, candles and miniature motorcycles left by friends and family.
A note written in marker on the back of a cross read “I love you brother.”
Two GoFundMe campaigns have been launched to help the Peugh family with funeral costs and have raised nearly $39,000 as of Monday evening.
“Alexa and family would like to send a huge thank you for your generosity, words cannot express their gratitude for you. They have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support, which has kept them going in a difficult time like this,” reads a GoFundMe for Max’s mother, Alexa.
Born in Holland, Michigan, Max moved to Pinellas County at a young age before eventually ending up in Parrish in the fourth grade, where he attended Annie Lucy Williams Elementary School and Buffalo Creek Middle School.
Growing up, Max was a ball of energy.
“He was rambunctious. He’d just get into everything,” Terry said.
Max loved sports. He started playing little league baseball when he was just 3 years old and later played junior varsity basketball at Parrish Community High. He also loved food, whether it was pizza, all-you-can-eat crab legs or finding a new grouper sandwich. Terry fondly recalled when Max and his girlfriend made egg rolls from scratch.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was like, ‘How do you even know how to do this?’” Terry said.
But it was Max’s love for adventure and free spirit that his dad says many will remember him by. He loved roller coasters and going snowboarding with his little sister, Brogan, on family vacations to Illinois. His latest interests included skateboarding and “being free” on his bike.
In videos shared with the Bradenton Herald, Max’s joy was apparent as he tried out tricks on his board or went soaring for a slam dunk.
“I always encouraged him to live. I wanted to not keep my thumb on him. I wanted him to live, right? And be a kid,” Terry said.
Max worked at the Hampton Inn in Ellenton for the past year and a half while balancing his responsibilities as a senior at Parrish Community High. He planned to attend Manatee Technical College after graduation and talked of becoming a firefighter.
Terry said that’s the kind of person his son was — someone who “wanted to give back his time and his energy for others.”
As his family mourns his loss, they hold tightly to the memories of Max’s “vibrant smile” and “big heart.”
“He was so loved,” Terry said.
