In the early hours of Sunday morning, three Indiana State University students died in a fiery single-vehicle crash. According to the Vigo County Sheriff’s Department, five people were in the vehicle when it crashed, all of whom are believed to be ISU students.
Per the university athletics department’s release, some of the passengers were football players.
The Vigo County authorities arrived on the scene of the accident at 1:34 am. According to reports, the vehicle had veered off the road into a tree and was on fire.
“Two of the occupants were able to be freed from the vehicle and were transported for medical treatment with serious injuries,” said Vigo County Sheriff John Please. “Unfortunately, the driver and two other occupants were pronounced deceased on the scene.”
While the names of the students involved in the crash have not been officially released yet, one family has confirmed the death of their loved one, Caleb Vanhooser.
VanHooser had just finished his first week of classes as a freshman at ISU and was weeks away from his first college football game. In high school, he was a standout on the football team and was set to begin his college career as a defensive back at ISU.
VanHooser’s high school football team, Lakota East High School, tweeted Sunday afternoon about the passing of their former teammate, saying, “It is with heavy heart that we mourn the loss of Caleb VanHooser, former Hawk great, and Indiana State football player who was called home to Heaven early this morning. We will never forget his contributions to our program.”
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“This is a terrible tragedy,” said ISU President Dr. Deborah J. Curtis. “As we are waiting on additional details from authorities investigating this accident, our hearts go out to the families and friends of the students involved.”
