Tragic Loss of Veteran After Half Marathon

A military veteran, having successfully managed his PTSD, tragically passed away shortly after finishing a half marathon in San Diego. Just two days prior, he shared with his mother a secret plan to propose to his girlfriend.

Scotty Williams, 28, crossed the finish line of the Silver Strand Veterans Day Half Marathon on Sunday but then suddenly collapsed near a water station.

Emergency responders attempted to revive him, with one doctor mentioning they performed CPR for “an hour and a half,” but unfortunately, his heartbeat did not return.

Katherine Iglesias-Herrera, his mother, expressed her disbelief about her son’s sudden passing. “At 28 years old… it just doesn’t make sense,” she said during a phone call from her home in Ridgecrest, California.

Two days before the marathon, she spoke to Scotty over FaceTime and reported he seemed to be in great spirits. His girlfriend, Brie Rivera, was there to cheer for him during the race.

“She mentioned that right after he crossed the finish line, he was seen walking near the water station, and then he just collapsed,” Iglesias-Herrera recounted.

An autopsy was completed, but the family will not receive the results for a few months, leaving them with questions. “I keep running every scenario through my mind,” she lamented.

In their last FaceTime call, she recalled how he showed her his new apartment and shared details about it. His father had recently passed away, and Scotty was working on a memorial urn for him.

“I guess God must have needed him more than I did,” she said, overwhelmed with emotion.

On Thursday, a police escort brought Williams’ body back home, with local veterans and residents honoring him along the way.

In the community, people were lined up with American flags as his body was returned, and his mother commented, “This town… had so much to offer him.”

The family is currently fundraising for his funeral, launching a GoFundMe campaign that has reached over $20,000 toward a $26,000 goal.

Scotty joined the Army at 17, shortly after graduating from high school in 2015, serving as a transport driver in South Korea and Syria, fulfilling a lifelong dream.

His mother recalls, “Since third grade, he’d been talking about joining the military.” Reflecting on his childhood, she added how much he enjoyed outdoor activities.

However, upon returning from his deployment, she noticed changes in him. When she asked if he had PTSD, she said, “Yes, I did,” indicating he had been struggling with it.

He typically resisted talking about his feelings, and she recalled moments where he would get upset or cry, feeling lost without an explanation.

Eventually, the Department of Veterans Affairs classified him as 80% disabled due to PTSD. He was reluctant about medication but eventually sought help in his own way, according to his mother.

After leaving the military, he lived in a camper while working at a ski resort, showering at the gym and enjoying the outdoors before moving to San Diego, which he found transformative.

“San Diego… was the best thing for him. He slowly began to heal,” she said, noting he embraced life fully, even running marathons.

In San Diego, he found love with Rivera, and they talked about future plans together. “He was excited about getting a bigger apartment and wanted to take care of her,” his mother shared.

He had even confided in her about wanting to marry Rivera secretly. “He was the happiest he’d ever been,” his mother reflected on his life in that little apartment by the beach.

Williams’ funeral is set for the upcoming weekend in Ridgecrest.

When asked what message she wished to convey about her son, Iglesias-Herrera paused with tears in her eyes, saying, “He was wonderful. One of the best people I know. I love all my kids the same, but he… was so much more.”