HOUSTON—Grief counselors were on hand at Bellaire High School Monday after a star basketball player was killed in a car crash.
Tobi Oyedeji died early Sunday morning in a crash on South Main near Hillcroft after celebrating his senior prom.
Oyedeji and his classmates had attended the prom Saturday night and later gone to a school-sponsored after-party at Dave & Buster’s.
Police said around 6:15 a.m. Sunday, Oyedeji was driving his sedan soutbound on South Main when he lost control, hit a curb, flew into oncoming traffic, struck a car and smashed head-on into an SUV.
The driver in the first car that was hit was not injured. The woman driving the SUV died at the scene. Oyedeji was transported to Ben Taub hospital, where he later died.
The northbound lanes on South Main were closed for several hours while HPD investigated.
Friends believe Oyedeji may have fallen asleep behind the wheel.
Oyedeji was committed to play basketball for Texas A&M University after graduation.
He’d led the Bellaire Cardinals to the regional finals this past season, averaging 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Still, friends said his skills off the court left the biggest impression.
"I’m just wondering why God had to take him away," classmate Jeremy Hines said. "It’s the prime example of how you can be here one day and gone the next."
Texas A&M basketball coach Mark Turgeon sent a statement about Oyedeji’s death.
"The world has lost a great kid today. Tobi epitomized the term ‘student athlete.’ He was a very good student. He worked hard in the classrooms and on the basketball court, and he was a terrific basketball player," Turgeon said.
