Traverse City Central High School is mourning the loss of 17-year-old student-athlete Jason Soloman, who died Saturday morning after a vehicle left Center Road on the Old Mission Peninsula and struck a tree. Soloman, a senior on the varsity football team who wore jersey number 54, was a passenger in the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver survived with non-life-threatening injuries.
According to 9and10News, the crash happened around 8 a.m. Saturday. Grand Traverse County Central Dispatch logged the initial 911 call at 7:49 a.m., reporting that a southbound vehicle had run off the road south of McKinley Road, according to the Old Mission Gazette. The Peninsula Township Fire Department and the Michigan State Police Crash Reconstruction Team responded to the scene, and Center Road reopened at 2:45 p.m. after being closed for nearly seven hours, the outlet reported. The Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office separately said the closure lasted approximately six hours.
Community Gathers to Grieve
Community members gathered outside Traverse City Central High School on Sunday night, hugging, sharing memories and writing cards and personal messages for Soloman's family. The school sent an official email to families that same day notifying them of his death, per 9and10News.
Becky Burton Seabase, a parent of a student on the varsity football team, said most people learned of the crash on Saturday through texts passed between families. The Traverse City Central football program released a statement on Facebook saying it was heartbroken to share the passing of its senior teammate, adding that Soloman meant a great deal to the program and that his impact will be remembered by the football family. The team plans to play in his honor on Friday, October 9, at 7 p.m. against Bay City Western.
Investigation Continues Into Speed, Alcohol
The Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the crash, and deputies reported that speed and alcohol are suspected factors. Detective Wolbers is leading the investigation for the sheriff's office and is asking anyone with information to call (231) 995-5137 or email [email protected], according to The Ticker. The injured driver was transported to Munson Medical Center in Traverse City for treatment, the outlet reported.
Memorial service details for Soloman have not yet been released but will be shared as they become available, and a GoFundMe has been created to support his family.
Second Fatal Crash on Same Road in Seven Weeks
Saturday's crash marks the second fatal collision involving a 17-year-old Traverse City Central student on Center Road in seven weeks. On August 16, a head-on collision near Mapleton killed Traverse City Central student Wilder Seeburger, per the Old Mission Gazette's earlier reporting. In connection with that crash, Grand Traverse County Prosecuting Attorney Noelle Moeggenberg charged a 22-year-old driver with Operating While Intoxicated Causing Death, a felony that under Michigan law carries a maximum of 15 years in prison and fines between $2,500 and $10,000.
Whether charges will follow in Soloman's death remains unknown while the sheriff's office investigation continues. The area near McKinley Road has drawn safety concerns before; in September 2021, a 17-year-old Traverse City Area Public Schools student was struck by a truck and hospitalized while crossing Peninsula Drive near the same intersection to board a school bus, according to a prior Ticker report.
Part of a Statewide Pattern
The twin tragedies on Center Road echo a troubling statewide trend. Michigan recorded 115 teen deaths in motor vehicle crashes in 2025, up from 104 in 2024, according to ClickOnDetroit. Michigan Traffic Crash Facts data shows that excessive speed is the single most common hazardous action in fatal crashes involving drivers ages 15 to 20, accounting for 20.6% of fatal crashes in that age group statewide.
