Earlier today, the American sporting fraternity woke up with the shocking news of the untimely demise of Minnesota Vikings rookie Khyree Jackson. As per reports, Khyree died in the early hours of Saturday after his Dodge Charger collided with another vehicle. Khyree’s car was unsurprisingly destroyed, and the visuals of it have disturbed many netizens.
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The incident has shocked the NFL world, as Khyree was just drafted by the Vikings this April. What’s tragic is the fact that the star cornerback was also accompanied by his two high school teammates, Isaiah Hazel and Anthony Lytton Jr., who also met with the same fate as Khyree.
The State Police reports indicate that the accident occurred when the vehicle next to Khyree’s Dodger, a silver Infiniti, “attempted to change lanes while driving at a high rate of speed,” resulting in the collision.
The intensity of the impact was so high that Jackson and Isaiah, the two front-seat passengers, were pronounced dead on the spot. Anthony also couldn’t survive for long despite sitting in the back seat, as he was later pronounced deceased at the hospital.
Meanwhile, visuals of the car have surfaced on the internet, leading to netizens’ distress. As expected from the reports, the car looks completely flattened, something that can only be seen at a junkyard.
Those poor kids never stood a chance… Will be interesting to see what the final story was. It just sucks. He had such an amazing story, and a real opportunity to make a name for himself here. Minnesota sports have been through some shit in my lifetime! Fly high 31!! pic.twitter.com/6GWTEZS1Fk
— Eric Hughes (@e_hughes11) July 6, 2024
The initial reaction to these visuals was understandably one of shock as fans offered their condolences to Khyree’s family and friends, wishing them strength. Others expressed their intrigue at the condition of the car and urged for an in-depth investigation to understand what exactly transpired. The rest blamed the lady driver of the silver Infiniti for her alleged reckless driving.
Just shows how quick life can change… prayers for all the families in this hard time
— Eric (@BiggieFunk23) July 6, 2024
Wow I have never seen a car this totaled.
— Alexis (@lexyarnold) July 6, 2024
I’ve worked at auto body shop for the past few years and have never seen a car destroyed like that. Words cannot even describe how sad this is
— PJ__NotFleck〽️ (@PJ__86) July 7, 2024
Do you know how fast she would’ve had to been going to total their car this bad and no one in her car had any injuries. Do not drink n drive please value your life and others. She killed 3 ppl and now ruined her own life its never worth it. She took away everything they had https://t.co/x9IEkFUFiI
— Sarah-Michelle (@sarahmtc) July 7, 2024
That being said, it’s truly a heartbreaking loss for the NFL, considering the massive promise Kyree held as a player.
Khyree Was a Standout College Prospect
The former Oregon CB had a menacing physicality in his game, which saw him make the First-Team All-Pac 12 in 2023. Khyree started in 12 games last season, averaging 2.8 tackles per game. This contributed to the CB tallying 34 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 7 pass break-ups.
However, what set Khyree apart was his physical prowess. As NFL analyst Lance Zierlein noted, the aspiring corner had “rare size and strength”. This was evident in his combine showcase, where he completed the 40-yard dash in just 4.5 seconds, despite standing tall at 6 feet 4 inches. While he didn’t have a sound technique, his physicality was enough to get him picked in the NFL.
That said, when the news emerged, Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell expressed his grief at the passing of the rookie and mentioned that the team will surely miss his “contagious energy.” This is indeed a somber day in football.
