University of Pittsburgh freshman cornerback Mason Alexander died Saturday in a car crash in Indiana, authorities said.
Alexander, 18, was a passenger in a vehicle that swerved off the road and struck a tree in Fishers, a northeastern suburb of Indianapolis, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. The car burst into flames upon impact. Alexander was pronounced dead at the scene.
Alexander was a star at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers. He signed with the Panthers in December and enrolled at Pitt in January.
Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi said in a released statement that Alexander “made a great impression on all of us” during his short time with the Atlantic Coast Conference football program.
“Mason was proud and excited to be a Panther, and we felt the same way about having him in our Pitt family,” Narduzzi said. “He will always be a Panther to us.”