50°
Investigators have said 42-year-old Matthew DeAngelis was headed the wrong way on Route 202 when he crashed head-on into Li's Volkswagen Taos just after midnight on Friday, July 14.
DeAngelis was pronounced dead at the scene, while 19-year-old Li died on Monday, July 17, Daily Voice reported.
The teen's father Eric Chen-Ta Li set up a GoFundMe campaign to finance a memorial in his son's honor. In just three days after going live, the effort raised a staggering $66,000, shattering its $25,000 goal.
The money, he says, will go toward the "Live for Lucian" fund, which family members hope will "help others with scholarships, fun, and Big Dreams."
Born to Eric and Sarah Popdan in Lancaster, Li grew up living in Burlington, Vermont and later Taichung, Taiwan, loved ones said in his obituary. When he returned stateside to attend fifth grade at Landis Run Intermediate School in Manheim Township, family members said he discovered his love for lacrosse.
"Lacrosse became an outlet for all the physical energy that was Lucian Li but also an environment in which he could unite with cherished friends to work toward goals," loved ones recalled.
His passion for the game earned him a place at Kenyon College in Ohio, where Li had just completed his first year of study and hoped to earn a biology degree with an eye on medical school, family members wrote.
"Lucian loved this life so much," loved ones said in his obit. "His family knows the world is a bit darker without him for all who love him."
In addition to his parents, Li is survived by his sister Calla, grandparents Bonnie and Bob Popdan and Gue-Fen Wu and Yu-Chen Li, as well as many loving extended relatives, his obituary says.
A celebration of life is planned for 11 a.m. Friday, July 28 at Manheim Township High School auditorium, 115 Blue Streak Boulevard, Lancaster.
Click here to support the LiveForLucian memorial fund on GoFundMe.com or here to read his full obituary from Snyder Funeral Home.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Lancaster and receive free news updates.
