Father of teen baseball star Grant Solomon who was killed by his own truck describes moment his son died at funeral
The father of a teenage baseball star who was mysteriously killed after being hit by his own truck has described the moment his son died at his funeral.
Video footage shows Aaron Solomon, a former news anchor, standing on a stage at Grace Chapel Church, Franklin, Tennessee, as he delivers a speech to 4,300 parishioners just days after the tragic death of his 18-year-old son Grant .
The teen had driven to his father on the morning of July 20, 2020, for a private pitching session at the Ward Performance Institute — about 50 miles away from his home in Franklin.
After arriving at the facility, Grant’s father called 911 to report that his son was trapped under his truck. When emergency personnel arrived, the handsome 6ft. The 4inch athlete was transported to hospital, where he died.
During the eulogy, Aaron seemed animated at times and even smiled, while at other times he was somber and tearful.
Speaking about the day of Grant’s death, he said: ‘Fast forward to Monday morning around 8.45am. Something happens right next to me that is such a blink of an eye, a freak, coincidental, tragic, inexplicable accident that takes Grant’s spirit from this earth.”
He added, “The only thing I can rationalize in my mind is that it’s a godly thing.”
Aaron also spoke about a random stranger who he claimed found Christ after discovering Grant’s belongings – his cell phone, wallet and glasses – in a ditch.
Grant Solomon, 18, tragically died on July 20, 2020 after his pickup mysteriously hit him and pinned him underneath the car
Aaron Solomon gives a special speech at his son’s funeral to 4,300 parishioners
Grant’s white Toyota Tocoma pickup truck pictured on the side of the road. The incident took place at 8:40 am
Thousands attended the memorial for Grant, where his baseball and basketball jerseys were displayed during the service. There was also a slideshow of photos of Grant from birth through his teenage years.
During his eulogy, Aaron shared memories of Grant as a baby, including his son’s love of dinosaurs and how he and mother Angie discovered their son was gifted at baseball at age three.
“Okay, you’ve heard a lot about the teenage years with Grant. “I’m going to tell you some funny things about Grant that you might not know,” he said.
“From the moment he was born, he had a great curiosity about the whole world,” he said in part. ‘We nicknamed him Mr. Peepers. That was his first nickname because of his eyes.
‘He was not yet three years old. We’re in the yard and he’s hitting a plastic ball with a plastic bat from a plastic tee. He gets something out of it. Mind you, he’s not even three yet.’
But then Aaron went on to talk about his own biological father, who died in the Vietnam War when he was just a baby, and how he was adopted by his mother’s husband.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve always believed that things happen for a reason,” he said in part. “I think maybe it stemmed from the fact that my biological father died in the Vietnam War when I was only seven months old.”
During his speech, Aaron also spoke about those closest to Grant and how they dealt with this horrific tragedy.
He claimed the teen’s loved ones, including his heartbroken family and friends, had experienced “Grantly and Godly things” since his death.
One of those “Grantly things,” Aaron claimed, was that “after the accident scene was cleared, a man found Grant’s cell phone, his baseball hat and sports glasses. He described this as ‘mind blowing’.
He said: ‘Ironically, this guy happens to know one of my best friends, Lee, and gets my number from Lee, texts me to know he has Grant’s things, and he wants them returned to his family .
‘This man is 55, 56 years old. He admits to Lee that he has never been a believer in his life. Ever. He had done a few things in his life and lived a rough life, but he just didn’t believe in it,” he continued. ‘But, he tells Lee, what happened to Grant Monday affected him so deeply that he is now a believer.’
“That’s Grant working with the ultimate coach to win even bigger games than he won here,” he added. “That’s a Grant Lee thing.”
But others have since disputed his recollection of how Grant’s belongings were recovered.
Grant’s mother Angie pictured with her late son and his sister Gracie
Grant’s funeral took place on July 25, 2020 at Grace Chapel
Eric Bonetti, the editor of Anglican Watch, who covered the mystery surrounding Grant’s death, reported that ‘Aaron’s story at the funeral about Grant’s cell phone is nonsense.’
“Grant had Life360 on the phone, and it was not found by a Good Samaritan, and no charges were filed.”
The video of Aaron’s eulogy was posted online nearly a year after Grant’s death in 2021 and has since been viewed more than 7,600 times.
At the end of his long sermon, Aaron said, “Grant and Gracie, you both have made me the proudest father in the world since the day you were born.”
“Grant, I’ve been wishing since 8:45 Monday morning that I could trade places with you, so that Gracie would have her brother, and that Gracie and Angie and the rest of the people who love you wouldn’t be in so much pain, and that you could live on and do great things here on this earth.”
He continued, “But you have already done more on this earth than I and many other people I know will ever do in their lives.”
Angie said a local store donated pink ties so all the boys at the funeral would have Grant’s favorite color, and his Southeast Mavericks team came in their jerseys. She added: “I was so proud of the boys.”
But she also remembers the excruciating pain, explaining: ‘I hadn’t even taken care of my hair, I hadn’t looked at my clothes. I clung to God. I tried to be strong for Gracie and for Hannah.”
Meanwhile, Taylor Swift sent a huge bouquet of flowers to the family, which arrived two days after her son’s funeral.
Grant’s pickup is pictured in a gravel ditch. The incident report indicated that the point of initial impact was the rear of the vehicle and that the car had functional damage
A street view of Ward Performance Institute, the baseball training center where Grant died. The center is now permanently closed
Grant’s distraught mother Angie is seen tearful and devastated on stage
Angie shared how much she misses her son and often visits his grave praying for justice for her son
Nearly four years after Grant’s death, Angie continues to fight for answers about her son’s death.
Grant’s death was ruled a parking lot accident by Gallatin police and the case was closed.
His devastated family claims there was no investigation, no reconstruction of the scene and no autopsy or toxicology performed.
Angie works to open her own investigation into her son’s death and has a GoFundMe which has raised more than $131,000 toward their $250,000 goal.
The family has also created a petition about it Change.org that has also gone viral to help reopen the investigation. The petition has collected almost 330,000 signatures, towards its goal of 500,000.
Grant would have turned 22 on June 10. Angie said she won’t stop until there is justice for her son.