'Always smiling': Breanna Coleman, victim in Topgolf Way crash, remembered as kind friend

One thing to know about Breanna Cecille Coleman is that she loved everything and everyone around her.

She loved her family with a fierce passion. She loved school, her heart set on becoming a nurse. She loved hanging out with her close-knit friend group. She especially loved building Lego sets and driving her blue Camaro.

Known as "Bre" to those in her inner circle, the 18-year-old was described by friends as someone who was always smiling and could brighten anyone's day just by making them laugh.

Coleman was one of the five teenagers lost in a tragic accident on June 25 or 26 after their car crashed into a retention pond on Topgolf Way in Fort Myers, sending a community into mourning.

She worked at the Texas Roadhouse on 8021 Dani Drive in Fort Myers, where she and three of the other victims were referred to as hard-working leaders.

The recent 2023 Gateway High School graduate was set to go to the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, according to friend Thalia DeLeon. While in high school, she was a cheerleader, JROTC Cadet, and Dual Enrollment Scholar. Friends and fellow students rave about her work ethic while in she was in school.

'She was always so happy'

For DeLeon, their inseparable friendship started last August. Suddenly, a friendship filled with laughter, going on adventures and swapping life stories grew rapidly.

DeLeon details the person Coleman was, noting she was always positive to be around. She added that she was also gorgeous inside and out.

"She just always lit up any room that she went into. She was always so kind and always so happy. She never had a mean bone in her body," DeLeon said. "There was nothing that anyone could say to her for her to be thrown off."

Coleman's presence had left a mark on not just DeLeon and her friends but many within the greater Fort Myers community. She said her friend's impact will definitely be felt and continue on for years to come.

"Her biggest impact I feel like she would leave is her intelligence. It was beyond this world how smart she was, and I feel that the biggest impact people get is to strive for their goals just like she did and just to smile and to never doubt anyone," DeLeon said. "She never doubted anyone. I just feel that the biggest impact she'll make is her intelligence and her smile and how to be kind."

'Breanna, job well done'

Tributes for Coleman and the other four victims began pouring in Monday after friends and family learned of the tragedy.

Her alma mater, Gateway High School in Fort Myers, posted a tribute to its Facebook to the recent graduate, adding their hearts are broken over the loss.

"Breanna was a cheerleader, JROTC Cadet, Dual Enrollment Scholar, a leader, and all around great person. We will miss her immensely but we will forever cherish our time with Breanna and fond memories. Breanna, job well done. Take your rest. Please keep Breanna’s family in your thoughts and prayers."

Friends, like Izabella Escobedo, penned heartfelt eulogies about Coleman, sharing special moments and what her friendship meant to them.

"Her smile was contagious, she was always in the mood for Chic-Fil-A, she always had the best outfits, her style was the best, she had a love for the Beatles and I really admired that about her," Escobedo wrote on her Facebook. "She always drove us around in her car because her car was the best and every time we were in her car, we had the best time. I’m gonna miss going to the ranch with you guys every Wednesday, I’m gonna miss watching scary movies at her house, I’m gonna miss the way she loves so much."

If you have more information to share about Breanna Coleman, please email sneely@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Breanna Coleman remembered by friends after fatal Fort Myers accident