Vigil for former Wise High School student who died in a car accident

UPPER MARLBORO, Maryland – A community in Prince George’s County will come together Friday night to remember three Wise High School graduates, including NFL rookie Khyree Jackson, whose lives were cut short after Saturday morning’s car crash.

Jackson and two of his former high school football teammates — 23-year-old Isaiah Hazel and 24-year-old Anthony “AJ” Lytton Jr. — were killed when a speeding, possibly drunk driver crashed into their car in Upper Marlboro with an Infiniti. Hazel and Jackson were pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. Lytton later died at the hospital.

A vigil will be held Friday evening at the site where the men graduated from high school.

Jackson had just been drafted by the Minnesota Vikings and was about to start training. He was a college star at the University of Oregon, which also held a candlelight vigil for him on Thursday.

“I want to first thank you and the rest of the nation for the prayers and continued support you have given Khyree and our family during this difficult time,” Jackson’s father, Raymond Jackson, said at the vigil. “When he was here, I had no worries. I never had any worries when he was here.”

The investigation into the accident is ongoing, but police believe speed and alcohol may have played a role. As of Friday, no charges have been filed against the 23-year-old driver who crashed into the three men’s car.

WUSA9 spoke to a man who had previously trained all three men killed, and he said the friends always stayed true to their roots.

“All of these young men were close … (they) played together,” said LaDawn Parrish, who previously coached all three men. “We’re all kind of at a loss, trying to get facts on what we think happened, trying to piece together different reports, but at the end of the day, you know we lost three young men. That’s final.”