College football star Adarius Hayes was injured in a car crash that killed two children and left several others in the hospital with ‘serious injuries’.
Jabari Elijah Solomon, 10, and Charlie Herbert Solomon Riveria, 4, were killed in the terrible collision in Florida, according to police.
According to WKRN, the Miami linebacker, 20, was behind the wheel of one of the cars and witnesses described him as ‘distraught’ after the crash.
As reported elsewhere, Hayes was among those hospitalized. An investigation is ongoing but it is not thought that alcohol played a role in the wreck.
Hayes is a sophomore linebacker with the Hurricanes, where he played alongside Cam Ward – the No 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
The crash took place around 1:45pm on Saturday in Hayes’ hometown of Largo, near Tampa. It’s said a Dodge Durango collided with a Kia Soul as the latter turned left at an intersection.
Pictures from the scene show serious damage to the Durango’s front end, while parts of the green Kia are strewn across the road. The car itself appears to be on the sidewalk, facing the wrong direction.
A witness, who claims to have been the ‘first one’ on the scene after the crash, said the tragedy occurred on a road where cars often race at speeds of up to 80mph.
‘When it happened, I was the first one out here. And immediately I started calling for somebody call 911 because there was a child,’ they told WFLA.
‘This all happened because these people hot rod on this road all the time. They come down here and they’re racing their car or they’re speeding, come through here at 60, 70, 80 miles an hour even, and many times we call the police. Not much changes.’
A Largo Police Department spokesperson told ESPN: ‘This is an ongoing and active investigation, and no further information is available for release at this time.’
The Daily Mail has contacted the Miami Hurricanes for comment. Hayes’ fellow Miami linebacker, Raul Aguirre Jr., posted a tribute to the 20-year-old on social media.
‘Got you bro… keep fighting,’ he wrote on X, alongside prayer and crossed fingers emojis.
Hayes, who appeared in 11 games during the 2024 season, was recruited by the Hurricanes after leaving high school as one of the country’s top-ranked linebackers.
He was a highly-coveted prospect who also received offers from a host of other top programs including Florida, Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio States.
