CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — A freshman football player at Austin Peay died Friday night in a single-car crash near the school’s campus in Clarksville, Tennessee, officials said.
Jeremiah Collins, an 18-year-old defensive back, was driving too fast while exiting a highway and his pickup truck rolled several times before coming to rest in a grassy area, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said in a news release.
Police said there were no signs of impairment at the scene. Collins was transported to a hospital and later pronounced dead.
University officials announced his death in a news release Saturday morning, saying the school community was mourning.
Austin Peay mourns the loss of Jeremiah Collins, a freshman football player, who passed away last night.https://t.co/ooiXHf0FHz
— Austin Peay Governors (@letsgopeay) July 22, 2023
“We are all devastated and heartbroken by the loss of Jeremiah Collins,” coach Scotty Walden said. “Jeremiah was an outstanding young man who brought an incredible attitude and energy every day. We grieve with the Collins family for their tragic loss and lift them up in prayer.”
Collins graduated from Oakland High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in the spring.