According to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Alexander, 18, was a passenger in a 2016 BMW traveling on Florida Road in his hometown of Fishers, Indiana. The driver of the car attempted to pass another vehicle but swerved to avoid a head-on collision after entering the northbound lane. This maneuver caused the BMW to veer off the road and crash into a tree, resulting in a fire. When first responders arrived at the scene, Alexander was pronounced dead at the scene around 9 p.m. ET.

Alexander graduated early from Hamilton Southeastern High School in Indiana and enrolled at Pitt in January.

“Mason is a special young man who is going to be dearly missed,” Hamilton Southeastern football coach Michael Kelly said Sunday morning. “To be honest, I don’t know if I’m still in shock but the hardest thing to think about is how things can happen to people, especially somebody like him. He had a presence and positivity about him that was unique. He didn’t think he was bigger than life in any way, and he had next level talent.”