22-year-old man killed in South Hill crash was ‘amazing father,’ had big dreams as pro fighter

Eric Rideout’s greatest accomplishment was winning a mixed martial arts fight at Northern Quest Resort & Casino. Then, his daughter was born.

“After he had his daughter, he said, ‘No, this is the biggest accomplishment of my life. This is the thing I’m most proud of,’ ” said Jennifer Bodey, Rideout’s mother.

Rideout, 22, of Spokane, died Nov. 17 after he drove off Walnut Street, heading north approaching Eighth Avenue, and struck two trees on the South Hill. Speed was a factor in the crash, according to Spokane Police Department Officer Daniel Strassenberg, spokesman for the department.

Tawna Wilson, Rideout’s godmother, said Rideout had just dropped his daughter off at day care before the morning crash. No one else was in the car.

More than 50 family members and friends gathered on a chilly Friday night at Walnut Street and Eighth Avenue for a candlelight vigil to honor and remember the young man who left behind his 2-year-old daughter, Elayia.

Loved ones held candles and wrote messages on a poster board, which had a collage of photos of Rideout and his family and friends in the center .

Born and raised in Spokane, Rideout was an aspiring Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter who loved skateboarding, camping, fishing and working on cars, according to family.

Bodey said her son’s passion for fighting started on the wrestling team at Glover Middle School .

“From then on, he’s like, ‘This is what I wanna do,’ ” Bodey said.

She said Rideout and his friends boxed with boxing gloves in the front yard as teenagers. Other family members said Rideout watched wrestling matches in person and on television and had wrestling figurines growing up.

“He practiced hard,” Bodey said. “I mean, never really missed a day in the gym with those boxing gloves on.”

Rideout trained at Eaglestone Boxing Club and Lilac City Boxing Club, both in Spokane, Bodey said.

“Eric showed up to our very first class in our new facility last year and quickly became one of our most dedicated athletes,” Eaglestone Boxing Club posted on its Instagram page. “He trained with heart, ambition, and a quiet determination that inspired everyone around him. Eric was working tirelessly toward his first boxing match, and he poured his soul into every round, every drill, every moment in the gym.”

The club also called Rideout an “incredible father.”

“The love he had for his daughter was unmatched, and he lit up when he talked about her,” the post stated. “Losing someone so young, so full of potential, and so deeply loved is truly heartbreaking. Our entire Eaglestone family is shattered by this loss.”

Family members said Rideout brought his daughter with him to the boxing clubs, with Bodey calling her Rideout’s “sidekick.”

Mo Bodey, Rideout’s 24-year-old sister, said his daughter would play with toys while Rideout practiced.

Jennifer Bodey said her son had “one of the kindest hearts you’d ever meet.”

“He was just the light of everyone’s life,” she said. “He never met a stranger, never. He made friends everywhere he went.”

Mo Bodey called him “kind-hearted.” He was also goofy, free spirited and mentally strong.

“He was always down for a good time, an adventure,” Mo Bodey said. “He absolutely loved being outside skateboarding, anything that had to do with new experiences or creating memories and just having fun, overall.”

She said she was extremely close with her brother.

“Nearly every memory I have up to this point in my life, he is involved in it,” she said.

Alistair Rideout, Eric Rideout’s 18-year-old brother, said his older brother always found a way to forgive others. He was funny and had a distinct chuckle that was “so great,” he said.

“He was amazing,” he said. “He was the most empathetic person I think I ever met.”

Wilson said Eric Rideout never had a bad thing to say about anyone. He was fun loving, a jokester and always happy.

“Even when he had reasons to hate someone, he was just loving and kind,” Wilson said. “Even if things were horrible, he always made light of the situation.”

Cameo Bodey, Eric Rideout’s aunt, organized a GoFundMe account that raised nearly $3,800 as of Tuesday night.

“He was doing incredible things for himself,” Cameo Bodey said. “It was really, really unfortunate that he got taken so soon.”

Wilson said money raised will go toward funeral expenses. Any money left over would be put in a trust for his daughter when she’s older and also go toward causes Eric Rideout supported.

“This is a hole that’s gonna be here forever, not just for us and his family, but the world was robbed of a really beautiful person,” Wilson said.