Josh Conder will always consider Chase Keith, a sophomore from Boston, Ky., his best friend.

“He was always the first one to call if I  needed something,” Conder said. “He was a good all-around person.”

Keith died at the Medical Center on March 5 after he was hit by a garbage truck.

Monica Woods, spokesperson for the Bowling Green Police Department, said the incident occurred at 3:08 a.m. The driver said in the report that Keith was wearing dark clothing, and he didn’t see Keith in the street until after his vehicle struck him, Woods said.

The driver said in the report, it appeared that Keith jumped directly in front of the vehicle.

Funeral services for Keith were last Tuesday.

Conder said he and Keith became friends when they both attended Nelson County High School together. They were both members of the National FFA Organization, and they trapped and hunted together.

Keith and Conder were both involved in slow-pitch softball as a hobby, Conder said.

“He wasn’t the best by no means,” Conder said. “But when he came in contact with that ball, he was running hard.”

Conder said that’s the way Keith, a member of FarmHouse, approached every aspect of his life.

“He did everything 100 percent,” he said. “He gave it his all.”

New Haven resident Beverly Keith, Keith’s aunt, also proclaimed Keith as a hard worker.

Beverly Keith said she owned a piece of property with a lake that Keith loved to visit.

“He would have parties up there, but he always cleaned up everything,” she said. “He wasn’t perfect, but he was a dang good kid.”

Beverly Keith said hundreds of people showed up to Keith’s wake, and some waited two hours in line just to show their respects.

“It really showed how much everybody loved him,” she said.

Holy Cross senior Cody Green said he met Keith through various clubs in high school, and the two remained friends when Keith transferred to WKU from St. Catharine College.

“He transferred here and fell in love with the place, and everyone fell in love with him,” he said.

Green said Keith would do anything for anybody, and the attendance at his funeral was a testament to the amount of people he truly touched.

“His smile was contagious,” he said. “You couldn’t be around him and not be in a good mood.”