An 18-year-old man who was a student at San Jacinto College and dreamed of being a professional soccer player died in a car accident in Houston on Sep. 13. The man was a passenger in a car that authorities say ran a red light and crashed into another vehicle. The men's soccer coach at San Jacinto announced that the team was suspending its season for now in the wake of the fatal accident, which also injured three of the victim's teammates.

Around 7:30 a.m., the victim was riding in the back seat of a BMW that was headed south on Beamer Road. The car reached a red light but the driver failed to brake in time, investigators from the Harris County Sheriff's Office said. The BMW slid into the intersection and got into an accident with a Honda. The 18-year-old, who was not wearing a seat belt, was fatally injured. Also in the car were three teammates, all of whom were injured.

The victim was from Houston and attended high school at Keys Learning Center in Euless. His goal was to play professional soccer to support his family, according to his coach at San Jacinto. He was a member of the U.S. under-17 national team, and was a starter for the development academy for FC Dallas, a Major League Soccer club. He hoped to earn a scholarship to a four-year university and then turn professional.

Sheriff's deputies were continuing to investigate the accident as of Sep. 13. They said that it appears unlikely alcohol was a factor in the crash.

Source: Houston Chronicle, "San Jacinto grieves loss of star player," Robert Stanton, Sep. 13, 2011