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Death ends bond between friendsSunday, November 04, 2007 HAMILTON -- They graduated high school together. Played soccer together. And nearly died together. James Vandewater IV and Nicholas Costa, two 21-year-old Steinert High School graduates whose car slammed into a utility pole on Route 156 Friday night, killing Vandewater and critically injuring Costa, were the best of friends since they were both 7 years old, Vandewater's father, James Vande water III, said yesterday. "They were like two peas in a pod," Vandewater said of the two friends who played soccer together since grade school. He said the Costa family "treated Jimmy like their own son." Vandewater had picked his son up from the airport at 3:30 Friday afternoon, just eight hours before the crash. The younger Vandewater was returning from visiting his grandparents in Florida for a week. He had recently completed an internship at a New York restaurant and was about to finish his last two semesters at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, R.I., where he studied culinary arts.He was set to return to Johnson and Wales by Nov. 24, his dad said. The father drove to the scene of the accident yesterday, where the younger Vandewater slammed his car carrying three passengers into a utility pole on Route 158. "It looked bad," the father said. At the crash site yesterday afternoon, two flowers -- one white rose and one red rose -- were left by the road. A card by the flowers read: "Always in our thoughts and prayers." |