A College of San Mateo football player was killed and a teammate remains hospitalized after their car rolled over on northbound U.S. Highway 101 in South San Jose early Sunday. The California Highway Patrol says the crash happened around 2:06 a.m. near the Yerba Buena Road on-ramp.
The victim was 19-year-old Jamarion Grace, a freshman defensive back known to teammates as “Pop,” according to PennLive. CHP officers say Grace was riding as a passenger in a 2013 silver Ford Fusion that was traveling northbound when the driver lost control, sending the car down an embankment and flipping it onto its roof, as reported by SFGate. Grace was ejected during the rollover and died from his injuries at the scene, while the 19-year-old driver suffered major injuries and was hospitalized.
College of San Mateo confirmed Grace's death and mourned his loss in a statement, according to PennLive's reporting. Grace, who starred at Vanden High School in Fairfield, had appeared in one game this season and recorded a single tackle for the Bulldogs before his death.
Two Teammates Also Hurt in the Crash
Beyond Grace and the driver, two other unidentified College of San Mateo football players were injured in the crash, per the San Francisco Chronicle's reporting cited by PennLive. College President Jennifer Taylor said one of those players remains hospitalized with serious injuries, while the other is recovering at home, PennLive reported.
Emergency crews from the San Jose Fire Department confirmed the fatality at the scene, and the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office was notified and responded, according to RWB Press. The Yerba Buena Road northbound on-ramp was shut down during the response.
Cause Still Under Investigation
The crash remains under investigation, and impairment was not known; investigators are asking anyone with information to call their office at 408-961-0900, per SFGate's report. No determination on the cause has been made public.
The Bulldogs were 3-1 this season. The Bulldogs entered this season as back-to-back 3C2A California Community College Athletic Association state champions, having won titles in December and in 2022. The program's next scheduled game is set for Saturday against Diablo Valley College in San Mateo at 1 p.m.
A GoFundMe page has been started to help cover Grace's funeral expenses and support his family, describing him as a son, grandson, brother and friend. Details on his celebration of life have not yet been released.
