Three high school football teammates killed after car slams pole, NC police say
.png "The three E.E. Smith High students who died have been identified as Jai’hyon Elliott, 18, Trevor Merritt, 17, and Nicholas Williams, 17, Cumberland County Schools officials said.")
Three high school football players died on the side of a road when the car they were traveling in hit a utility pole, then crashed into a tree, according to investigators in North Carolina.
It happened around 7:20 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8, in Fayetteville, and the 21-year-old driver survived, but remains in critical condition, the Fayetteville Police Department reported in a news release.
The three dead have been identified as Jai’hyon Elliott, 18, Trevor Merritt, 17, and Nicholas Williams, 17, by the Cumberland County Schools.
All were seniors at E.E. Smith High School in Fayetteville and members of the Golden Bulls football team, the district reported in a news release.
“Our hearts ache for their families and school community who are walking through this unimaginable time,” Supt. Eric C. Bracy said in a release.
“We recognize that our schools are more than places of learning; they are families bound by shared experiences, hopes and dreams. When tragedy strikes, we feel it together. The passing of these students reminds us how deeply connected.”
Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin noted the deaths have impacted the entire community, which is known nationally as the home of Fort Bragg.
“Our community’s heart is broken. These young men were part of the Golden Bulls family and of Fayetteville’s future, and their loss is felt across our city,” Colvin said in a Facebook post.
The Golden Bulls’ Oct. 10 game at South View was postponed due to the deaths and will be rescheduled, according to a the Fayetteville Observer.
Only one vehicle was involved in the wreck, which occurred in the 2700 block of Rosehill Road, police said. The site is just over 2 miles north of E.E. Smith High, maps show.
“The preliminary investigation revealed that a gray 2024 Honda Civic was traveling north on Rosehill Road. The vehicle ran off the road to the right and collided with a utility pole. The vehicle continued down the sidewalk and collided with a tree,” police said.
Driver Dymond N. Monroe, 21, “was life-flighted to UNC Medical Center in critical condition. ... The three passengers all succumbed to their injuries on scene.”
Detectives are still working to determine what caused the Civic to veer off the road.
Fayetteville is about a 65-mile drive south from Raleigh.
This story was originally published October 10, 2025 at 9:56 AM with the headline "Three high school football teammates killed after car slams pole, NC police say."