Matt Deery, 19, was killed in a head-on collision Wednesday afternoon in Pennsylvania.
Courtesy: LehighValleyLive.comNAZARETH, Pa. -
Lipscomb University track and field standout Matt Deery was killed in a head-on collision Wednesday afternoon in Pennsylvania.
Deery, a graduate of Phillipsburg High School in New Jersey, crashed his Jeep in Upper Nazareth Township, about 75 miles north of Philadelphia, after swerving to avoid a car that turned in his path.
An All-Atlantic Sun Conference honoree in just his first season of competition at Lipscomb, Deery was honored by his teammates and coaches as "Freshman of the Year."
He also received the "Fightin' Bison" award given to the toughest competitor on the team.
"Matt was an incredible athlete and an even more incredible person," Lipscomb track and field head coach Bill Taylor said in a news release Thursday. "Everyone loved him. He was a smart, caring, likable guy. He was a gifted athlete, yet he was so humble."
Taylor continued, "It's really hard to comprehend this right now. Matt was a wonderful person with a gigantic future. He is going to be greatly missed by everyone who knew him. I know our entire team is praying for his family, his friends and each other."
Deery was 19 years old.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
