LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Loved ones are remembering a beloved 29-year-old after he was found dead Tuesday, days after they reported him missing.
Louisville Metro Police said Duong Ngyuyen crashed his car into a tree near the Gene Snyder exit ramp at Bardstown Road. A preliminary investigation suggests the he failed to make a turn on the ramp from I-265 northbound.
Ngyuyen's friends helped search for him. Wednesday, three of them said the pain they're feeling is too painful to put into into words.
"When we found him, that's when I lost all my words and all my hope," childhood friend, Alan Tran said.
Each of them met Ngyuyen at different times of his life, but they say the bonds they shared were equally strong.
"He's like family to me," Mustapha Jobe said. Another friend, Steven Pruitt, said Ngyuyen was "like a brother."
Pruitt added Ngyuyen was last seen leaving his house Sunday morning, where he often hung out on the weekends.
After going hours without hearing from him, the group started searching. They say the tracker on Ngyuyen phone led them and police near Bardstown Road.
"I went to the crash site yesterday after the cops cleared it all out," Pruitt said. " I couldn't take it. It broke me mentally to see that."
Tran said news of Ngyuyen's death shook the community as well. There's since been an outpouring of love through donations to his family's Gofundme, which surpassed $20,000.
"[It's] definitely a reflection of who he is as a person," Tran said. "He's so outgoing and so energetic. He was social that's how he knows so many people and he's impacted so many lives."
Ngyuyen's friends plan to continue to honoring him by supporting his family. But they said moving forward without him won't be easy.
If you would like to help Ngyuyen's family with funeral costs, click here.