RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Black Hills baseball community gathered Monday night at Fitzgerald Stadium to honor the life and legacy of Carter “Tater” Johnson, a standout local athlete who died in a bus accident in Iowa last week.

The Light the Night event, held Monday night, saw friends, family, and former teammates fill the stands to pay tribute to the 19-year-old. The stadium lights remained on as a symbol of the impact Johnson had on the local sports scene, from his early days in youth leagues to his time with the Post 22 Hardhats.

Johnson was a freshman at Iowa Lakes Community College and was traveling with his team to a spring trip in Arkansas on Wednesday morning. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the team bus was eastbound on U.S. Highway 20 in Calhoun County when it struck a guardrail at approximately 6:30am. The vehicle then rolled into the median near the Highway 4 exit.

The 65-year-old driver reportedly lost control before the bus overturned in a ditch. While several other players and staff members were transported to local hospitals with injuries, Johnson was the sole fatality in the crash.

“Let’s fill the ballpark with prayer and help us honor this young man’s life,” Post 22 Nation shared in an invitation to the community.

Johnson’s baseball journey in Rapid City spanned multiple levels, including Harney Little League and Canyon Lake Little League. He was a key member of the 2018 Canyon Lake State Champion All-Star team.

“Tater was a proud member of our 2018 State Champion All-Star team and will always be part of the CLLL family,” Canyon Lake Little League said in a statement. “He was one of the hardest-working players on the field and always had a smile on his face.”

Beyond his play on the field, Johnson remained active in the youth baseball community, often seen coaching his younger brother in the dugout. He was a 2024 graduate of Stevens High School before moving on to play collegiate baseball.

The Monday night tribute was part of a regional display of support, with other baseball programs across South Dakota also lighting their fields in solidarity with the Johnson family and the Rapid City community.