University Place man who died in crash on 21st birthday ‘loved life’

Shane Peterson will be forever 21.

The handsome University Place man had long been looking forward to his milestone birthday Monday, and he celebrated with family at an Applebee’s restaurant.

After the family fun was over, Peterson stayed at the restaurant until a childhood friend, 21-year-old Erik Pykkonen, finished his shift.

The men were driving north on South Mildred Street about 1:10 a.m. Tuesday when Pykkonen lost control of his sedan near South 10th Street and it slid on the wet roadway into a parked trailer.

Police said speed and road conditions contributed to the crash, which killed Peterson and Pykkonen.

It’s unclear whether alcohol played a role in their deaths, although Peterson’s mother believes the men probably had a drink or two. Jennifer Marconi said she hopes her son’s death might keep others from making the same mistake.

“He never thought this would happen to him and I want to let people know it can happen to them,” she said Wednesday through tears. “Shane didn’t deserve to die. He so loved life. He was our heart.”

Pykkonen’s family could not be reached Wednesday.

Peterson grew up in University Place and graduated from Curtis High School. He studied business at Washington State University before transferring to Green River Community College in Auburn.

He transferred after his mother divorced so he could help care for her and his little sisters, Alyssa and Jill.

He worked as a server at Boathouse 19 and dreamed of owning his own business.

Peterson knew how to make people smile.

He showered compliments on his customers and shared an optimistic outlook with friends when they felt down. He also went out of his way to introduce himself to new kids at school and always had a spare dollar for the homeless.

Since her son’s death, Marconi has been religiously reading what people are posting on her son’s Facebook account. A GoFundMe account set up to help raise money for funeral expenses raised $2,500 in 18 hours.

Marconi likes knowing he was loved, that he mattered.

“He was an all-around really, really good guy,” she said. “He was honest, hard-working and always had a kind word. He saved my life in so many ways. I just wanted to be a better person for him.”

Peterson loved working out at the gym, playing basketball, attending music festivals and spending time with friends and family.

He enjoyed reading self-help books, always made time for his younger sisters and recently made plans to go skydiving and work in Yellowstone National Park for the summer.

Jordyn Bertucci met Peterson in junior high and was his steady girlfriend for many of the years since then. He could make anybody’s day just by smiling, she said.

“When you’re mad at the world, he would remind you how good of a place it was,” the 20-year-old University Place woman said. “He could make me so happy without trying.”

This story was originally published February 17, 2016 at 3:50 PM with the headline "University Place man who died in crash on 21st birthday ‘loved life’."