Teen Football Standout Killed in Suspected Drunk-driving Crash After Game
WHO:
TMZ - Deejay Tuiasosopo was a 16-year-old high school football player in Washington.
New York Post - Tuiasosopo was in his first season with the Federal Way High School football team and played running back and linebacker; he weighed 220 pounds.
New York Post - Tuiasosopo’s teammate and friend David Rodriguez said Tuiasosopo “had dreams.”
New York Post - A 29-year-old man was arrested on a vehicular homicide charge after allegedly driving under the influence. Police did not disclose further details about him or the other driver’s condition.
New York Post - Tuiasosopo’s family includes Manu Tuiasosopo, his grandfather’s brother, who was a first-round pick in the 1979 NFL Draft and played for the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers; Marques Tuiasosopo, Manu’s son, who was the 2001 Rose Bowl MVP and played eight NFL seasons for the Raiders and Jets; Zach Tuiasosopo, who played on practice squads for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles; Leslie Tuiasosopo, head coach of the University of Washington women’s volleyball team; and Matt Tuiasosopo, a former MLB utility player.
New York Post - Two unidentified uncles told KOMO they felt numb after the incident.
WHAT:
TMZ - Tuiasosopo was killed by a driver alleged to be drunk.
New York Post - Tuiasosopo was pronounced dead at the scene. Rodriguez said, “The fact he can’t do that, that’s just, it just feels sad.”
New York Post - A vigil was held, and mourners left flowers and balloons, including items marked with the numbers five and six, in reference to Tuiasosopo’s No. 56 jersey.
WHERE:
TMZ - Tuiasosopo was struck while standing on a sidewalk near the Washington location where he had played a football game.
New York Post - The crash happened at an intersection near the place where Tuiasosopo had played that night; a vigil was held nearby.
WHEN:
TMZ - Tuiasosopo was struck Friday night, hours after playing a game.
New York Post - He was struck late Friday after playing that night; the vigil was held Saturday.
New York Post - Tuiasosopo was set to graduate high school in 2028.
WHY:
New York Post - Tuiasosopo had dreams of becoming a state champion and hoped to follow his family’s sports success.
HOW:
New York Post - The car that struck Tuiasosopo had first crashed into another vehicle at an intersection; its driver was allegedly under the influence.
Deejay Tuiasosopo, a 16-year-old running back and linebacker for Federal Way High School in Washington, was killed late Friday when a car struck him on a sidewalk after he played a game. Police say the car had first hit another vehicle, and a 29-year-old man was arrested on a vehicular homicide charge after allegedly driving under the influence. At a vigil, mourners left flowers and balloons honoring Tuiasosopo’s number 56 jersey; his teammate David Rodriguez remembered a young player with dreams of becoming a state champion.