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The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a vehicle fire with entrapment at 10900 block of Florida Road around 9:03 p.m., dispatch records show.
Alexander, 18, was a passenger in a 2016 BMW 340 traveling south on Florida Road from 113th Street when the driver attempted to pass another vehicle, investigators said. As the BMW crested a hill near Geist Park, it entered the northbound lane and swerved to avoid an oncoming 2015 Toyota Rav4, overcorrecting before veering off the road. The car slid through the grass, struck a tree, and caught fire, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
Alexander, a four-star recruit and the highest-rated player in Pitt’s incoming freshman class, had graduated early from Hamilton Southeastern High School and enrolled at Pitt in December, preparing to join the Panthers for spring practice this month.
Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi called the loss devastating.
“I received a call this morning that no parent, teacher, or coach ever wants to get — the news of the sudden loss of a young and promising life,” Narduzzi said in a statement on Sunday, March 3. “Our entire program is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of Mason Alexander’s passing.”
Narduzzi added that despite Alexander’s short time with the team, he had already left a lasting impact.
“Mason was proud and excited to be a Panther, and we felt the same way about having him in our Pitt family,” he said. “He will always be a Panther to us.”
The crash remains under investigation by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
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