LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The University of Kentucky is mourning the loss of 26-year-old Richie Wells Jr., an athletic trainer who worked with the Wildcats during their run to last year's College World Series.
Wells died in a crash in the Atlanta area during a police investigation into a series of robberies. Josh Walker, who worked closely with Wells for two full seasons at Kentucky, remembers him for "how genuine a person he was. He just absolutely cared so much for every person that was in his path."
According to police, the incident began with a robbery at a Chick-fil-A Monday night in Atlanta. Officers pursued a suspect vehicle, which ended in a crash with another vehicle, killing Wells. The suspect survived the crash. Investigators believe the vehicle they were chasing may be connected to three additional robberies across metro Atlanta.
Walker, who supervised Wells during his internship from fall 2020 to spring 2022, offered a tribute to his former colleague: "All we can do is take our memories, take our life lessons given by Richie and live them out. That's how we can honor Richie."
After his internship at Kentucky, Wells worked a minor league job in the Los Angeles Angels organization before returning to UK.
Walker noted that "he knew this program, he knew every aspect of what it meant and what it was going to mean to be an athletic trainer at the University of Kentucky."
Wells left UK and college athletics, moving to the Atlanta area after the Wildcats' College World Series appearance in 2024. When asked what lesson people should take from how Wells approached relationships, Walker responded: "Care for others and use the time to make those around you better. I know he did that."
Walker added that the number of lives fundamentally changed by Wells at Kentucky will continue to live out for generations at UK.
