Three E.E. Smith High School football players who died in a crash will be remembered Tuesday evening in Cumberland County.
Trevor Merritt, Jai’Hyon Elliott and Nick Williams will be honored at a football game between E.E. Smith and South View High School.
A balloon release, moment of silence and special presentation are all scheduled to happen at South View High School ahead of kickoff. The ceremony will start with a pre-game tribute at 5:30 p.m.
“South View stands shoulder to shoulder with E.E. Smith during this time of heartbreak,” said Principal Phyliss Jackson. “This ceremony is not just about football—it is about family, unity, and reminding one another that we are stronger together.”
The game was postponed after the students were killed Wednesday night on the way to a birthday celebration for a friend after football practice. Fayetteville police said the car crashed into a telephone pole on Rosehill Road, continued down a sidewalk and collided with a tree. Merritt, Elliott and Williams were all passengers.
The driver, 21-year-old driver Dymond Monroe, was airlifted to Chapel Hill with serious injuries. Monroe’s mother, Kenisha Lewis, said Monroe is a mom herself to a 7-month-old. Monroe is also a military veteran who left active duty in January.
Hundreds of people attended a vigil over the weekend to remember the young men. Attendees said the three used to play at a park together long before they were teammates at E.E. Smith.
The city of Fayetteville is now planning to do a study on Rosehill Road where the crash happened. WRAL News has previously reported on several crashes in that area.