BALTIMORE – Minnesota Vikings rookie Khyree Jackson and two other former college football players died in a car crash in Upper Marlboro early Saturday morning, according to Maryland State Police. Jackson, 24, from Waldorf, and Isaiah Hazel, 23, from Upper Marlboro, were declared dead at the scene, while Anthony Lytton Jr., 24, from Upper Marlboro, was pronounced dead at the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center.
Jackson, who played cornerback at Alabama for two seasons before finishing his college career at Oregon in 2023, was drafted by the Vikings in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft. He died just two months before the start of his first NFL season. Lytton played for Penn State University after transferring from Florida State University, and Hazel played for the University of Maryland and later the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell expressed his grief, stating, “I am absolutely crushed by this news. Khyree brought a contagious energy to our facility and our team. His confidence and engaging personality immediately drew his teammates to him. 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. I am at a loss for words.”
All three men had played football at Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. High School in Upper Marlboro. Jackson was a state champion in 2016, and Lytton and Hazel each won three consecutive titles from 2015 to 2017. The accident occurred around 3:14 a.m. when a silver Infiniti Q50, driven by 23-year-old Cori Clingman from Upper Marlboro, attempted to switch lanes at high speed and collided with a maroon Dodge Charger and a silver Chevrolet Impala on northbound Route 4/Pennsylvania Avenue and Presidential Parkway north of Dower House Road. Police suspect alcohol was involved.
Hazel was driving the Dodge, with Jackson in the passenger seat and Lytton in the back. Clingman and the two other passengers in the Infiniti, as well as the driver of the Chevy, were unhurt. Charges may be filed pending the investigation, which is being led by the Maryland State Police Crash Team in consultation with the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office.