Pittsburgh freshman Mason Alexander killed in car crash

Mason Alexander, a freshman defensive back for the University of Pittsburgh, died in a car crash in Fishers, Ind. on Saturday night. He was 18 years old.

Alexander was a passenger of a BMW that swerved to avoid a collision at the 10900 block of Florida Road in the northeastern suburb of Indianapolis. The driver of the car over-corrrected, causing it to slide off the road and crash into a tree. Alexander was pronounced dead at the scene.

Alexander graduated from Hamilton Southeastern High School – just three miles northeast of the crash site – before enrolling early at Pittsburgh. The two-time all-stat selection was highly recruited, earning offers from Purdue, Wisconsin, Tennessee, West Virginia and others before pledging his verbal commitment to the Panthers on June 26 and signing last December and enrolling early.

Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi wrote the following in a statement:

“I received a call this morning that no parent, teacher or coach ever wants to get—the news of the sudden loss of a young and promising life. Our entire program is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of Mason Alexander’s passing. Mason had just enrolled at Pitt in January following his early graduation from Indiana’s Hamilton Southeastern High School. Even during that short time, he made a great impression on all of us. Mason was proud and excited to be a Panther, and we felt the same way about having him in our Pitt family. He will always be a Panther to us. The Alexander family and Mason’s many loved ones and friends will be in our prayers.”

Please keep the Alexander family in your prayers.