HAYMARKET, Va. -- Derek Meffert went to see Rascal Flatts concert Saturday night in Bristow.
It’s not because he loved the band -- he just liked being around people and his friends, said his 20-year-old sister, Amanda.
Friends of the family say that following the concert Derek got a ride home from someone their family didn’t know very well.
That man, 18-year-old Steven Tyler Dixon, of Stourcliffe Court and Meffert, of Hunton Lane in Haymarket, were both killed early Sunday when Dixon lost control of his Mazda RX-8 and collided with an Acura Integra on Logmill Road, police said.
The driver of the Acura was identified as a 22-year-old man, and the passenger sitting in the rear seat of the Mazda is said to be a 16-year-old girl from Gainesville.
Derek was a trusting child, which could have been a reason why he took a ride with someone he hardly knew, his sister said.
Derek Meffert moved to Prince William County with his mother, father, sister and grandmother two years ago from San Francisco.
During his time at Battlefield High School, the 15-year-old quickly became recognized as a talented football player and was on the school’s junior varsity team, said Amanda.
Professionally, though, his favorite football team was that of his hometown: the San Francisco 49ers.
While not protecting his teammates on the field, at home he was known for protecting his older sister.
“When we would go to parties together, he would be very protective of me. That meant me not talking to boys. And when I had a problem, he was so wise … he would be the one to tell me everything was going to be OK,” said Amanda Meffert.
Amanda spoke from her home at the foot of Bull Run Mountain on Monday while her parents were out making funeral arrangements for their son.
Friends of the family said a candlelight vigil will be held in Derek’s honor at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Battlefield High School in Haymarket.
A remembrance will be held at Pierce Funeral Home on Va. 28 in Manassas on Friday, and funeral services will be held there the following day, Amanda Meffert said.
A police investigation showed that Dixon, the driver, was not wearing a seatbelt.
Alcohol and speed are also believed to be factors in the crash, said Perok.
“He was a great person, the greatest brother. And I miss him so much,” Amanda Meffert said.
Staff writer Uriah A. Kiser can be reached at 703-530-3905.
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