DC Crash victim Casey Crafton’s nephew wants to fix uncle’s old car for his son (exclusive)

Cars. It was the last subject Casey Crafton texted his 23-year-old nephew, Taylor Hammons, approximately before boarding American Airlines Flight 5342.

Hammons, who had joked with him on January 29 afternoon about expensive cars, received the last text read receipt from “Uncle Casey” at 16:07 before his flight started at 18:39 in Wichita, can.

“The day of the crash I actually didn’t know he’s traveling for work,” says Hammons People of Crafton, 40, who was on his way home to his family in Connecticut before The plane collided with one US Army Black Hawk Helicopter Over the Potomac River in the Washington area, DC,.

“We are car people, we would always find a dream car or something on the Facebook market,” he continues, revealing that his uncle sent him a list at 15:41 at a Buick Grand National GNX 1987 1987.

“I told him back and said,“ So when do you pick it up? “And he said, ‘Tomorrow. Sold my house and I will only live in the car.’ Then I replied with,” Good moves, you can’t drive a house, “” Hammons reminds.

Then Hammons sent his final message to his uncle Casey.

“The last text I sent him was about Corvette,” he recalls, referring to a C8 Corvette who recently sold for $ 3.7 million at a Barrett-Jackson auction. “I just said,” was definitely not worth the $ 3.7 million that someone paid but only rich people make rich people. ”

“And then he read it at 16:07,” adds Hammons and noted that he later saw news of the middle of the air that killed his uncle, 63 other people on the American Airlines flight and three people on the US Army Helicopter.

Hammons says he remembers his uncle – a flight mechanic who leaves behind Mrs. Rachel and three sons – for his time together firearm and watching The office And constantly talk about cars.

Crafton had taught his nephew to build cars, which Hammons hopes to be able to “keep his legacy alive” by fixing his uncle’s old car before his oldest son, 10-year-old Easton, learns to drive.

“When he was growing up, he would always come and pick me up in Memphis, Tenn., When I was young in his Mitsubishi Eclipse,” reminds Hammons, who now lives in Raleigh, NC “We talked about getting ready to build that car for Making it ready for one of his children to be able to drive it – Easton, which is a little more interested in all cars than the others. I will definitely remember him from that car. ”

“I really want to continue to get that car ready for Easton, even without him here. I think it’s something that Easton and I, if not all the children, can tie on – and something to just keep his legacy alive, explains the University of Tennessee at the Chatanooga degree.

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Hammons recently visited the Crafton family in Connecticut for the first time in five years, due to the university’s responsibility, in December and January.

“Sometimes when I went to college he would be in Chattanooga and so I would pick him up from the airport, we would have some dinner and then I would take him back to his hotel room or back to the airport,” he says. “I would call him my best friend.”

Crafton would have turned 41 February.

In his absence, Hammons wants to be there when his uncle’s three sons need him for advice to “make sure they take care of.”

A Gofundme collection Set to raise money for the Crafton family has raised more than $ 71,000 of its $ 75,000 target from Friday 7 February.

“(I want people to remember) how good a father he was,” he emphasizes. “When I was up there, and Casey was at work, I would be with his wife. And we talked about how she is there for love and care – and boy mom stuff – if they get hurt and everything. But every day, I would say, worshiped the foundation that he went on. Just nothing but playful times and teach them all about life. ”