Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson and two of his former high school teammates were killed in an early morning car crash Saturday in Maryland, police said. Jackson, 24, and Isaiah Hazel 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. Lytton was 24, and Hazel was 23, the AP reports. The three were in the same vehicle just after 3am when it was struck by another vehicle that was speeding and changing lanes, police said.
"I am absolutely crushed by this news," Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said. "Khyree brought a contagious energy to our facility and our team. His confidence and engaging personality immediately drew his teammates to him." 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 this month. Hazel played college football at Maryland and Charlotte, and Lytton played 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. No one else was injured in the crash.
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