High school quarterback dies while trying to help stranded driver, Florida cops say

A high school quarterback who made his mark on the football field died while trying to help a stranded driver, Florida officials said.

Nick Miner, 18, was on an Orange County road when officials said he stopped to lend a hand to a driver who had gotten stuck. As Miner tried to help, a car ran into his pickup truck on Sunday, Oct. 23, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

The impact caused Miner to be thrown from the pickup truck, officials said. The 18-year-old died from crash-related injuries.

Two pedestrians — ages 17 and 20 — were hit when Miner’s truck flipped over. They were both taken to a hospital with serious injuries that weren’t considered life-threatening, Florida Highway Patrol wrote in a news release.

The driver of the car that reportedly ran into the pickup had minor injuries, officials wrote.

State troopers said the crash happened at about 1 a.m. on Dallas Boulevard. The area is near Oberly Parkway, east of Orlando.

Miner, an Orlando resident, is remembered by WKMG and other news outlets as a standout quarterback for East River High School.

“I wish he was still here,” teammate Parker Stoner told WOFL. “Funny, always the class clown, but a leader on the field. Never gave up, always gave his all.”

Principal Rebecca Watson, in a message that was shared with McClatchy News, called the death of the high school senior “tragic.” East River High School canceled after-school activities on Oct. 24 and was set to have grief counselors on campus.

“I know I speak for our entire East River High community when I express the grief felt at the loss of one of our own,” the principal wrote in a statement posted to Facebook. “My thoughts and prayers are with this student’s family and friends as they go through this extremely difficult time.”

An investigation continues into the crash, which officials said happened as Miner tried to pull the stranded driver’s truck back onto the road. Charges are pending in the case, according to state troopers.

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