Indiana State football player among 3 students who died in crash

RILEY, Ind. (WISH/AP) — Three Indiana State University students died early Sunday morning from a single-vehicle crash.

Police say five students, including several football players, were in the vehicle, according to the university.

Lakota East High School’s football program in Ohio has identified on Twitter one of the football players who died as freshman Caleb VanHooser of Liberty Township, Ohio. He played defensive back and wide receiver in high school, according to his biography for Indiana State football.

The vehicle left the road, struck a tree and caught fire just before 1:35 a.m. Sunday on State Road 46 at Main Street in Riley, a town of 230 people that’s about a 20-minute drive southeast of the campus.

The driver and two other passengers died at the scene. Two passengers were able to be freed from the vehicle and were being treated for serious injuries, Vigo County Sheriff John Plasse said.

Authorities were working to confirm the identities of the people who died.

ISU President Deborah Curtis said in a statement, “This is a terrible tragedy. As we are waiting on additional details from authorities investigating this accident, our hearts go out to the families and friends of the students involved.”

More information will be released as it becomes available, according to an Indiana State University newsroom release.

Counseling services are available for students, faculty, and staff at 812-237-3939. 

The ISU women’s soccer match scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday at Memorial Stadium was postponed to a later date because of the crash.