Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson was killed Saturday morning in a car crash in Maryland, police and the team said.
Jackson, 24, was one of three people who died in an overnight three-car crash in Prince George’s County, according to Maryland State Police.
The Vikings released a statement saying the team spoke to Jackson’s family, and is “devastated by the news.”
“I am heartbroken by the loss of Khyree,” Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in the statement. “As we got to know him throughout the pre-draft process, it was clear the goals Khyree wanted to accomplish both professionally and personally. His story was one of resilience. He was taking steps to become the best version of himself not just for him, but for those who cared about and looked up to him.”
Jackson was a fourth-round selection of the Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft. He played two years at Alabama before finishing his college career with one season at Oregon.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning expressed his sympathies, “RIP Khyree… Love you @Real_Khyree at a loss for words. I will miss your smile. Great player better person.”
Jackson was in the running to earn a starting cornerback job at the team’s training camp, which opens later this month in Eagan, Minnesota.
“I am at a loss for words,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said in the statement. “My heart goes out to Khyree’s family, friends, teammates and coaches.”
Police said Jackson was ‘pronounced dead on the scene by emergency medical service personnel.’
The other victims were Isaiah Hazel, 23, and Anthony Lytton, Jr., 24. Hazel played college football at Maryland and Charlotte, and Lytton played at Florida State and Penn State.
The three won state championships together at Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School in Maryland, according to On3.com.
They were in the same vehicle at the time of the crash. Hazel was driving, and Jackson and Lytton were passengers, Maryland State police said.
Investigators believe the driver of a second vehicle traveling north attempted to change lanes “at a high rate of speed” when they struck the car driven by Hazel and a third vehicle.
Nobody was injured in the second or third vehicles.
Investigators say alcohol might have been a contributing factor in the crash, and “charges are pending the investigation and consultation with the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office.”
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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