CNN
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In the aftermath of the University of Georgia winning the national championship, police investigate A.J A fatal car accident with one vehicle The deaths of football player Devin Willock and employee Chandler Lecroy occurred just hours after the Bulldogs celebrated the victory with the crowd, authorities said early Sunday.
Shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday, Lecroi, 24, was driving with Willock, 20, and two other passengers near the UGA campus in Athens when the vehicle ran off the road, crashing into two power poles and several trees, the Athens-Clark County Police department said. In a press release.
Police said Willock died at the scene and Lecroix died after being taken to hospital. LeCroy was a football recruiting analyst for UGA, according to her linkedin.
Two passengers belonging to the football team were also injured in the accident. Georgia offensive lineman Warren McClendon, 21, was slightly injured and Victoria Bowles, 26, was seriously injured, according to police.
McClendon started at right tackle for Georgia this season and He declared for the NFL Draft earlier Saturday. His father, Warren McClendon Sr., told L.L.C Athena Banner Herald He needed stitches on his forehead but he was “fine”.
The incident came hours after Sanford Stadium and the surrounding streets were filled with ecstatic fans who had come to celebrate with the Bulldogs. Second consecutive national championship. But by the next morning, they’ve joined the team mourning the sudden loss of Willock and LeCroy.
Fan Daniel DeWitt attended the victory parade Saturday and told CNN that Willock was “upbeat and happy” as the team passed crowds of fans dressed in red and black.
“It’s sad to come on a festive week. Yesterday, for the sake of seeing this player and then coming to find out he lost his life early this morning, the whole Bulldog nation is at a loss,” DeWitt said.
Pictures of the crash site, taken by nearby residents, show a wooden pole in the middle and the bodywork of the car broken on an apartment building.
“That car dented like a tin can,” Cecily Pangburn, a resident of the apartment complex, told CNN. She described hearing a loud bang when the crash occurred, followed by a loss of her power.
Police said the investigation into the incident is continuing. Investigators asked anyone with information to contact authorities.
UGA team members were remembered from before Many university leaders As a vital and valuable presence in the football program.
“Devin was an amazing guy in every way. Always smiling, he was an amazing teammate and a joy to coach,” said football coach Kirby Smart in a statement Sunday.
“Chandler was a valuable member of our football team, with an amazing attitude and incredible energy every single day,” said the coach.
Support for the Bulldogs also poured in from across the college football community on Sunday, including from the head coaches Brian Kelly from Louisiana State University and Hugh Freeze from Auburn University.
said Josh Brooks, UGA’s director of athletics statment. “We are working with our medical staff and the mental health and performance team to ensure our staff and student-athletes have all the support they need during this very difficult time.”
Willock, a redshirt sophomore from New Milford, New Jersey, joined the team as a freshman in 2020, according to UGA. football list. He played offensive line in all 15 of the team’s games this year.
The player spent Saturday with the fans enjoying the joy of winning last week’s tournament. One fan in particular got to spend some quality time with Willock in the hours leading up to his death.
Wheelock met 7-year-old Camden Gonzales of Starstruck after the young fan spotted Wheelock as he was leaving the Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Athens on Saturday.
The player gave Camden a fist bump and let the boy try the massive 2021 championship circuit.
“He was so humble and appreciative because we knew who he was and wanted to talk to him,” said Sam Kramer, Camden’s grandfather, adding that Willock seemed “full of life and just happy”.
DeWitt, a fan who saw Willock at the parade Saturday, told CNN he has a 2021 UGA championship tattoo and plans to get a matching tattoo for this season’s win. This time, he said, it will contain Willock’s number, 77.