Family, teammates mourn 19-year-old College of San Mateo football player killed in crash on Hwy 101
SAN MATEO, Calif. (KGO) -- A community is mourning the loss of 19-year-old Ja'Marion Grace, a College of San Mateo football player who was killed in a car crash early Sunday morning on Highway 101 in San Jose.
Grace's mother, Ashley Grant, said she spoke with her son Saturday night, just hours before the crash.
"He said, 'I'm going out,' and we said, 'You know be safe.' And I thought I was gonna see him Sunday. He texts and he asked me, my mom, and my sister, he said, 'Can you guys send me a few dollars?' And we said, 'Well, what do you need?' And I sent it, and he said, 'Thank you Mom,' with hearts, and that was the last time we had contact," Grant said.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the crash occurred on northbound Highway 101 near Yerba Buena Road. Officers said the driver of a 2013 Ford Fusion lost control of the vehicle. Grace, who was a passenger, was ejected from the car.
Grant said she awoke to numerous calls and text messages before learning of her son's death.
"Dad and I called the coroner and we had to describe our son, and they told us it was, that it was him," Grant said.
Known as "Pop" to friends and "Mar" to his mother, Grace grew up in Vallejo before moving to Fairfield for high school. During an interview with his family, relatives wore sweatshirts made for his senior night high school football game.
The College of San Mateo football team honored Grace in a social media post.
"Pop gave everything he had each and every day. Fly high, Pop. We love you," the team posted.
Grant said her son had a gift for connecting with others.
"He knew how to keep a smile on people's face. People just gravitated towards him. Kids love him," Grant said.
Grace's grandmother, Felicia Brown, said the loss has been devastating for the family.
"That was our baby, and we loved him, and we're like, he's gonna be truly, truly missed from everyone," Brown said.
CHP says at this time it is unknown if the driver was under the influence of any drugs or alcohol. Officers are asking any witnesses of the accident to come forward as they try to figure out what happened.
A GoFundMe has been started for Ja'Marion's funeral costs.
