Murfreesboro Crash Kills Former Valedictorian

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Police said alcohol contributed to a high-speed crash Thursday morning that killed a former Blackman High School valedictorian.

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John "Tyler" Morrisey, 21, who was a star soccer player, was killed in the crash.

Friends of Morrisey said he had received a full scholarship to attend Vanderbilt University but did not attend the school.

Around 3 a.m., an officer said he spotted the car, driven by Nono Oketa, going more than 100 mph on Thompson Lane near the VA Hospital.

But before the officer could catch up to the car, Oketa lost control, sideswiped a truck and crashed head-on into a brick mailbox, police said.

Oketa was critically hurt while another person in the back seat had minor injuries.

Police said Morrisey was riding in the front seat of the car and was killed on impact.

"(It's difficult) to lose someone like Tyler, who was loved by everyone and had so many friends and was such an intelligent person," said Morrisey's friend, Blake Glasscox.

Morrisey’s friend Stephen Adams said screeching tires and a loud boom woke him up.

"This morning I heard the crash. I didn’t think anything of it, I just went back to bed," Adams said.

He said he quickly learned one of the men in the car was his best friend.

"It hits home. It’s hard to lose somebody that close to you," Adams said.

Police said officers found alcohol in the car, but it’s not clear who was drinking.

Morrisey’s friends said it’s hard to lose someone so special. They said Morrisey is the third close friend they've lost to a crash involving drinking. They said they hope others watching will see this as a reason to make smarter choices.

The driver of the truck was not seriously hurt. Police are conducting blood alcohol tests on all of the victims in the car.