The Minnesota Vikings community got hit with an unimaginable tragedy last week when it was announced fourth-round rookie CB Khyree Jackson passed away in a car accident.
Three men in total, including Jackson, all passed away in the crash.
The men, 24-year-old Jackson, 23-year-old Isaiah Hazel, and 24-year-old Anthony “AJ” Lytton Jr., was driving in their Dodge Charger when they were run off the road on Route 4 in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, by an alleged drunk driver Cori Clingman.
Jackson was a standout at Oregon last season and was selected by the Vikings in the fourth round of the NFL Draft in April.
According to Maryland State Police, the horrific crash occurred when Clingman, driving an Infiniti, was trying to change lanes at high speed and collided with their car, forcing them to hit several trees. Clingman then hit another vehicle, but neither she, the two passengers in her car, nor the driver in the third car were injured. Jackson and Hazel were pronounced dead at the scene, while Lytton Jr. died at a nearby hospital.
The Minnesota Vikings took to social media to pay tribute to their rookie cornerback.
The friends bonded while playing football together at Wise High School, and their former coach, Dalawn Parrish, remembered them as always being close in an interview with WUSA9 News. “All of those young men were tight … [they] played together,” said Coach Parrish. “It’s amazing that they went three separate ways in terms of going to college and playing football but were still always together when they came back home in the summertime.”
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said he was “absolutely crushed by this news.”
“Khyree brought a contagious energy to our facility and our team. His confidence and engaging personality immediately drew his team-mates to him,” he said, according to BBC News. “In our short time together, it was evident Khyree was going to develop into a tremendous professional football player, but what was more impressive was his desire to become the best person he could be for his family and those around him.”
The vigil for Vikings cornerback Khyree Jackson, AJ Lytton Jr. and Isaiah Hazel turned even more tragic Friday night. After the memorial concluded for the three high school football teammates who died in a car crash last week, two people were shot at Wise High School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, that resulted in one fatality.
Per Fox 5 in Washington D.C, a man was shot in the chest and passed away from his injury at the hospital. A woman was also shot in the leg and was taken to a local hospital. Both victims were in their 20s.
Police said at least one gun has been recovered from the scene.
The vigil was a week after the Minnesota Vikings rookie, Lytton, and Hazel were announced as the three fatalities in the accident that took place last Saturday morning in Prince George’s County. The preliminary investigation indicated another car struck Jackson’s vehicle, which traveled off the right side of the road and struck multiple tree stumps.
Detectives are working to find a suspect and reveal his motive in the crime. PG County Police are asking anyone who has information about the incident to contact @PGCrimeSolvers on the web or submit a tip using the P3 Tips app.
Jackson was a rookie cornerback for Vikings, selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Hazel and Lytton were high school teammates of Jackson, with Hazel playing college football at Maryland and Charlotte and Lytton playing for Florida State and Penn State.
