Amid the scraps of debris left behind from the violent crash that killed three star football players from Prince George’s County, Maryland, sat a Minnesota Vikings hat.
It was a stark reminder on Monday that the dreams of three young men will never be fulfilled.
Khyree Jackson, 24, was just months from making his NFL debut with the Vikings.
“There’s so much to accomplish; there’s so much to believe on,” said Alec Lewis, who covers the Vikings for The Athletic and wrote about Jackson. “So, I think it just affected a lot of people believing positively in the direction Khyree was going to be headed in.”
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Jackson's friends Isaiah Hazel, 23, and Anthony Lytton Jr., 24, also were gifted football players. All three were state champions at Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School.
The community is mourning the loss of the young men as the investigation into the cause of the crash early Saturday continues.
Their coach, Steve Rapp, described Jackson, Hazel and Lytton in one word: "legends."
“Legends. All three of them in their own right. They’ll forever be held high in this program,” he said Monday.
Maryland State Police are still investigating the circumstances of the crash. They believe speed and alcohol may have been factors but no charges have been filed.
The friends were in a Dodge Charger on Route 4 when the driver of an Infiniti tried to change lanes and hit the Charger, police believe.
The Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a statement Monday that they’re still gathering information.
"We only have initial reports which do not include the BAC (blood alcohol concentration) which has to be developed from the medical records in this case. We have not yet received those yet. There is a need for more information about what exactly happened to collect sufficient evidence. An early evidentiary review has been scheduled for this week,” a statement from the office said in part.
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Amid many unanswered questions, Coach Rapp said he’s certain of how great an impact his former players had on him.
“If I had one more thing to say, I would just like the opportunity to tell all three of them that I love them,” he said.
Wise High School will hold a candlelight vigil in honor of the three men on Friday at 7 p.m. in Upper Marlboro.
