A former Charlotte 49er football player and two others were killed in a vehicle crash early morning on Saturday, July 6 in Maryland.
According to reports, Isaiah Hazel, 23, and Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson died at the scene, while Anthony Lytton, Jr., was pronounced dead at a hospital after the three-car crash in Prince George’s County, according to Maryland State Police.
Hazel, Jackson and Lytton were high school teammates. Hazel spent one season at Charlotte playing in all 12 games for the 49ers after transferring in from Maryland. Lytton played collegiately at Florida State and Penn State.
The three won a state championship together at Maryland’s Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School, which paid tribute to them in a social media post.
Charlotte 49ers head football coach Biff Poggi released the following statement:
“We are heartbroken today at the news of Isaiah Hazel’s untimely passing. Our program mourns his loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with Isaiah’s family during this tragic time. All of Isaiah’s hopes and dreams were still before him, and I pray that his family is granted strength now more than ever.”
Jackson was a fourth-round draft pick by the Vikings in April. He played two years at Alabama before finishing his college career with one season at Oregon.
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.
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. “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.”
Maryland State Police states that Hazel was driving, and Jackson and Lytton were passengers in a Dodge Charger, which veered off the road after being hit and struck multiple tree stumps, police said.
Investigators believe the driver of a second vehicle traveling north attempted to change lanes “at a high rate of speed” when it collided with the car driven by Hazel and a third vehicle.
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