NFL rookie from Waldorf among three dead in Upper Marlboro crash

An NFL rookie is among three dead in a fatal car crash in Upper Marlboro on the morning of July 6.

Shortly after 3:14 a.m., Maryland State Police troopers from the Forestville Barrack responded to a crash on northbound Route 4 and Presidential Parkway north of Dower House Road in Upper Marlboro. The three vehicles involved in the crash were a silver Infinity Q50, a silver Chevrolet Impala and a maroon Dodge Charger, a release from state police said.

The deceased are identified as Khyree Jackson, 24, of Waldorf, Isaiah Hazel, 23, of Upper Marlboro and Anthony Lytton Jr., 24, of Upper Marlboro. Jackson and Hazel were pronounced deceased on the scene by emergency medical service personnel, according to the release.

Lytton was transported to the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center where he was later pronounced deceased by hospital personnel, the release said.

Jackson was selected by the Vikings in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He spent two years at the University of Alabama before playing his final collegiate season at the University of Oregon in 2023, according to an article released by the NFL.

Lytton played football for Florida State University and Penn State while Hazel played for University of Maryland and University of North Carolina at Charlotte, according to news reports and player profiles. They were high school teammates with Jackson at Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School in Upper Marlboro.

All three men were occupants of the Dodge Charger involved in the crash. Hazel was the driver. Jackson was the front-seat passenger and Lytton was seated in the rear of the vehicle.

The preliminary investigation indicates the driver of the Infiniti, identified as Cori Clingman, 23, of Upper Marlboro, was traveling northbound on Route 4 in Prince George’s County.

Investigators believe Clingman attempted to change lanes while driving at a high rate of speed when she struck the Dodge Charger and then struck the Chevrolet Impala. The Charger subsequently traveled off of the right side of the roadway and struck multiple tree stumps where the vehicle came to rest, according to the release.

Clingman had two other passengers in her Infinity at the time of the crash. No one was injured in her vehicle. The Impala was occupied solely by the driver. He was also uninjured in the crash and declined medical treatment at the scene, the release says.

Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration personnel assisted with road closures. The northbound lanes of Route 4 were reopened at 10:20 a.m. Saturday.

Investigators believe alcohol may have been a contributing circumstance in the crash, according to the release.

Current Westlake High School football coach DaLawn Parrish, who had previously been the only coach at Dr. Henry A. Wise High School where Jackson, Isaiah and Lytton, all played, said Saturday he was devastated by the tragic news of the loss of three former players in the morning car crash.

"I've probably gotten over 200 calls and texts and its difficult to talk about," Parrish said. "It's still tough to wrap my mind around what happened. Khyree was one of those guys that would not stop at anything. He was convinced that some day he was going to get drafted. When they had a retirement party for me at Wise, he was one of the guys that came back and spoke. All three of those guys played for me."

“We are devastated by the news of Khyree Jackson’s death following an overnight car accident,” the Minnesota Vikings tweeted after learning of the fatal accident. “Our thoughts are with Khyree’s family, friends, teammates and coaches, as well as all the victims of this tragic accident.”

Kevin O’Connell, the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, released a statement, saying, “I am absolutely crushed by this news. Khyree brought a contagious energy to our facility and team. … In our short time together, it was evident Khyree was going to develop into a tremendous football player, but what was more impressive was his desire to become the best person he could be for his family and those around him.”

Charges are pending the investigation and consultation with the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, according to the state police release. The Maryland State Police Crash Team is leading the investigation.