Another night of celebration unexpectedly ended in tragedy after one Deerfield Beach (Fla.) High School football player was killed and another seriously injured after a single-car accident on prom night.
According to the Miami Herald, 19-year-old receiver Taletrius Bradley was killed and 17-year-old standout cornerback Demetrius Palmer was severely injured in the horrific crash over the weekend.
Bradley, who was all set to graduate from high school later this week, died Tuesday morning from brain injuries. As of Tuesday, Palmer was still in critical condition at Broward Health Medical Center.
Deerfield Beach football coach Jevon Glenn told the Herald that both teens were ejected from the front seat of a 2017 red Chevy Corvette that Bradley’s mother had rented for her son so he could attend prom at another high school, Plantation High, in style. Bradley had reportedly just dropped off his date and picked up Palmer when the accident occurred.
“T.J. was just a great young man who had some obstacles earlier in his life and was taking all the necessary steps to overcome it,” Glenn said. “He was getting ready to graduate this week and go off to college next month. It’s really hard to see life kind of be snatched away really at the beginning for him.”
Glenn said that Bradley had recently gotten the test scores he needed to qualify for a football scholarship. His backup plan was to attend the University of Tampa.
“He was going to be a late signee,” Glenn said. “He had options.”
Palmer had just started to receive scholarship offers from schools like Morgan State and Virginia Union.
“He’s still in critical condition,” Glenn said Tuesday. “We’re not in the clear yet, but he’s showing signs of progress. He’s got some head injuries, but they’re continuing to do brain scans, and so far they’ve been coming back good. But obviously with all the swelling and things, they’re going to keep him sedated so they can keep monitoring him.”
Read more at the Miami Herald.