Rock Star Kyle Maite Dies in Trucking Accident

By Daniel S. Levine

Kyle Maite, the guitarist for pop punk band Hit the Lights, has died. He was 37. Maite died on Sept. 20 after a car accident in Ohio, according to his obituary. When he did not perform for the band, he also drove freight trucks for Old Dominion Freight Line in Columbus, Ohio.

"It is with the heaviest hearts we at HTL have to announce the passing of our brother, friend, and guitarist Kyle Maite," the surviving Hit the Lights band members said in a statement on Sept. 23. "He left us on Tuesday morning, and everything is different now. Our lives have lost a glow." The group wrote that it was "unbearable" to think about life without him.

"We're all a little lost right now, and we could type a novel of our thoughts and feelings, but it wouldn't make a difference," their statement continued. "He's gone and all we have is each other to carry on the light he brought to every life he touched. Kyle was the best. A loyal, loving, dependable, rock-solid human with a heart of gold. We will never get over this, and it's hard to imagine a day when we won't cry. We look forward to hugs and hangs and tears and laughs as we remember Kyle – and we'll try to be thankful that we had the time we did with him. It is a massive loss for so many, and our hearts and thoughts are with the rest of his friends and family, who we know are grieving as deeply as we are. Kyle Maite Forever."

The group included two links to GoFundMe pages set up to help his family. One has raised over $23,000, far surpassing the $8,000 goal set to help pay funeral expenses. Another fund is close to reaching a $25,000 goal to help his family.

Maite grew up in Negley, Ohio, and graduated from Beaver Local High School. Maite joined Hit the Lights in 2016 and also performed with The Rydells and Thief Club. He is survived by his wife of nine years, Kalen Maite, and their two children, Cameron, 4, and Jordan, 1. He is also survived by his mother, his father and stepmother, his brother, his grandparents, his parents-in-law, and sisters-in-law, as well as several aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. Maite's service is scheduled for Tuesday at the Millersport United Methodist Church. His family has asked donations be made to the Licking County Humane Society in Maite's memory. 

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