Three E.E. Smith High School football players lost their lives when the vehicle they were traveling in crashed on Rosehill Road in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Wednesday evening, October 8, 2025. The single-vehicle crash occurred shortly after 7 p.m., leaving the community grieving and raising questions about road safety in the area.
Trevor Jayshawn Merritt, 17, Jai’Hyon Lamont Elliott, 18, and Nicholas Kole Williams, 17, were all passengers in a 2024 Honda Civic when the car veered off the road, struck a telephone pole, traveled down an embankment, and collided with a tree near Haymount Presbyterian Church. All three were pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver, 21-year-old Dymond Monroe, was airlifted to UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill with serious injuries. As of Wednesday, October 15, Monroe remained in critical condition, unable to walk or talk, according to her mother. Monroe, an Army veteran who served on active duty from June 2022 to January 2025 as a signal operations support specialist at Fort Riley, Kansas, is also a mother to a seven-month-old child.
Fayetteville police determined that excessive speed was the primary factor in the crash. The investigation revealed that the speed limit along Rosehill Road is 45 mph, with a sign warning drivers that an approaching curve requires a reduced speed of 35 mph. Cumberland County court records show Monroe had previously been charged with speeding on Rosehill Road on August 2, 2025, when she was cited for traveling 51 mph in a 35 mph zone, approximately three miles from where the fatal crash occurred.
The three students were heading to a friend’s birthday celebration after football practice when the crash occurred. All three were seniors at E.E. Smith High School and members of the Golden Bulls varsity football team.
Elliott’s grandmother, Lillie Davis, said her grandson had dreams of playing college football. She noted that while the crash devastated the family, the support from the Fayetteville community has provided comfort. “It’s been kind of rough for the family. But you know what? We persevere,” Davis said.
In a message shared with families, Merritt’s mother expressed the pain of planning her son’s funeral instead of his 18th birthday, which would have been October 30. She described how Trevor had been focused on his final high school football season, staying up late updating his Huddle reels in hopes of attracting college football recruiters. Elliott’s family remembered him as an outstanding athlete who worked hard for everything he wanted and inspired everyone with his determination and spirit.
Cumberland County Schools provided counseling and emotional support to students and staff following the tragedy. The homecoming game between E.E. Smith and South View High School, originally scheduled for October 10, was postponed. The game was rescheduled for Tuesday, October 14, and included a memorial ceremony before kickoff.
The ceremony featured a balloon release, a moment of silence, and special presentations at South View High School. Players from both teams presented the victims’ families with helmets and sashes, and South View gave them a plaque honoring the three players. South View Principal Phyliss Jackson expressed solidarity, stating that the ceremony was about family, unity, and reminding one another of collective strength during heartbreak.
E.E. Smith Principal Larry Parker indicated that the decision to play the game came from fellow football players on the team. He emphasized that school officials took their cues from the students and did not want to rush them into anything just to maintain a schedule.
Hundreds of people attended a vigil at Westover Recreation Center on Bonanza Drive on Saturday, October 11, to remember the young men. Attendees noted that the three had played together at a park long before becoming teammates at E.E. Smith.
In response to the crash, Fayetteville announced plans to conduct a comprehensive traffic study of Rosehill Road. The study will review five years of crash data and the causes of each crash, examine comprehensive traffic, pedestrian, and bike plans for potential improvements, and assess the existing condition of signs and pavement markings. According to city and state traffic data, 168 crashes occurred on Rosehill Road between 2020 and 2025, with 54 percent at intersections with Country Club Drive and Ramsey Street.
Funeral services for the three players were held over several days. Visitation for Merritt took place October 16, with his funeral service on October 17 at True Vine Ministries, followed by interment at Lafayette Memorial Park. Elliott’s visitation was held October 17 and October 18, with his service at Global Kingdom Impact on October 18. Williams’ family held private funeral services.
Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin, an E.E. Smith alumnus, expressed that the community’s heart was broken and asked residents to keep all those affected in their prayers. The Fayetteville Police Department’s Traffic Unit continues to investigate the crash.
