KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Ben Kredich spread joy for the community. He was 24 years old and his father, Matt Kredich, said he was excited to be able to call himself a full-grown man. Matt also said he has always identified himself through the stage.
Ben loved Knoxville and he was loved by many in Knoxville, his dad said.
"His personality is inquisitive. He's playful, he's loving," Kredich said. "And he has the ability to take a perspective that I've never heard before. I mean, he was such a good companion because what he was able to say about any situation was, is his own unique and wonderful and kind and caring interpretation of any situation that would be different from what others would say."
Every Monday, he met with his dad to have dinner at Sunspot. He would walk when the weather was nice and when it was light outside.
On Monday, he was on his way to meet his father once again. On the way, his dad tracked his phone and his headphones and saw his location. He texted his wife about how happy it made him to see his son so independent. Ben did things because he thought they were good for him, and walking was one of those things.
That's when Ben's dad heard there was a crash on Kingston Pike.
"I tried to get there three different ways and traffic was not moving," Matt said. "So I went essentially went the wrong way on Neyland Drive, pulled into the lanes that weren't coming and drove to the visitor center and then started running towards the scene when I heard that a pedestrian had been killed. I knew it was Ben."
Ben's mom, Kim Kredich, was home when she looked on a Facebook page after receiving a notification that somebody had posted a thread asking, "What's the holdup? You know, why are they closing it off?"
She then read there was a serious crash from a notification on her phone.
When she tried to call her son, she started running toward the scene as she called 911 to ask if it was him. When she arrived, they couldn't officially tell her Ben had died.
"I was in complete shock, of course, and I still didn't know what happened," Kim said. "But I was starting to get more and more worried. And then they said, 'This person, here's the situation, this pedestrian did not have an ID.' And I thought, 'Right, Ben doesn't have an ID because he has a passport. '"
Shannon Walker, 44, of Maryville faces charges in the case.
Ben was diagnosed with autism, and he lived a full life. His story and experiences ended up helping thousands of children with special needs.
He was advocating for educational rights under the IDEA, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and Americans with Disabilities Act. His mother was one of the people who led a group in Knoxville to help children with special needs at Knox County Schools. Her son was her motivation and his life carried a huge message.
"I think the message is to have an inclusive community," Kim said. "To scoop everybody up in the community, so that we create the strongest, most beautiful, supportive, vibrant, creative community possible. And I feel that Knoxville had a lot more to learn from Ben. But they definitely learned enough to have made a huge change. And I think they will keep learning more from his impact."
Ben also spoke before the Knoxville Transportation Authority around a year ago, in July 2022, asking them not to suspect Route 10. The route went through the Sequoyah Hills area, and he said he started taking the bus in 2017 after starting at the UT FUTURE Program.
"My name is Ben Kredich and I take the Number 10, Sequoyah Hills, bus several times each week, to and from my jobs on UT campus and downtown. I also catch the Number 10 bus after I close Treetop Coffee Shop to meet my dad at Sunspot for dinner because the fries are my favorite," Ben said at the podium. "I understand why my neighborhood bus route might disappear for a while, but I don't want it to go away forever. The Number 10 bus stop takes me a half-dozen minutes to walk to and is safe. The Number 11 bus stop takes me three-dozen minutes to walk to and is sketchy because cars drive so fast on Kingston Pike."
KAT released a statement about his death, available below. They said the route was cut due to workforce shortages.
"KAT is heartbroken at this senseless tragedy that took the life of a beloved passenger. One of Ben’s bus routes was part of service reductions made due to ongoing workforce shortages resulting from the fallout from the pandemic, which KAT is still experiencing.
KAT continuously works with a variety of partners to encourage safer pedestrian infrastructure throughout the City, as walking is always a part of the transit journey. Ben’s loss, however, is a reminder that even sidewalks cannot stop tragedies related to impaired motorists."
Sen. Gloria Johnson (D - Knoxville) recognized Ben and his family on the House floor Tuesday during a special legislative session. She called the family "dear friends."
He was a charismatic young man. People from the community said he always brought a smile on their faces even though he had his own battles to overcome.
Ben's dad said that his autism resulted in him having a difficult time communicating the way that others communicate. When he was very young, he used to have screaming tantrums and extreme frustration.
But when he learned how to communicate, it changed his whole world and his life began to change. His family has always searched for ways to help him communicate, his dad said.
"Ben, because of who he was, inserted joy into almost every interaction that he had with people," Matt said. "He was loved by so many in Knoxville and I am so proud of him for the impact that he made on people here that is his life and his being has made and I know that that will continue."
On Tuesday, his family said they were waiting for the forensics team to give them the official identification before they would move on to planning a celebration of life for him.
The Medical Examiner's Office confirmed his identity on Wednesday morning, according to KPD.
"I told our sons and their girlfriends who all came in in the last few hours too, that we were going to celebrate and we weren't going to be afraid to laugh," Kim said. "Because that's the only way I can really feel the depths of my grief is through the joy he brought everybody and all of Ben's stories 'cause there are a lot and everybody has them. And I want everybody to share them."