Sterling Franzwa was a 17-year-old from Shawnee, Kansas. ^[3]He was a senior at DeSoto Jr. High School and enjoyed participating in shooting and motocross sports. ^[3]His peers remember Sterling as being adventurous and for being a good person.

On the evening of December 16th, Franzwa was driving his 2001 Ford F-150 (F-Series truck) on Kansas Highway 7 when he lost control of his vehicle. Franzwa's truck proceeded to hit the median and then flip several times. He was not wearing a seatbelt and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are investigating the incident. ^[1]