An LSU freshman pole vaulter and another person have died following a car crash in Louisiana, according to reports.
Dillon Reidenauer, 18, from Abita Springs, was in a car traveling near Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge when she was struck by motorcyclist Bodhi Linton, 23, of Prairieville, on Feb. 26, according to local news outlet WBRZ.
Reidenauer’s Honda Accord was turning left onto South Quad Drive at around 9 p.m. local time, news outlet Nola reported, when it was T-boned by the motorcycle, causing both vehicles to “immediately burst into flames,” according to WBRZ.
Both Reidenauer and Linton were killed in the crash.
“We are devastated by the tragic passing of Dillon Reidenauer, who was taken from us much too soon,” LSU track and field coach Dennis Shaver said in a statement on the LSU website.
WWLTV
“Everyone in our LSU Track & Field family is keeping Dillon’s loved ones in our thoughts and prayers, as well as those of the other individual lost in the incident,” he continued.
“We will do everything we can to make sure our student-athletes and staff have the resources they need to process the grief of this terrible loss,” Shaver added. “I would also like to thank Texas A&M for offering their support and compassion as we are on the road at College Station for the SEC Championships.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Reidenauer had expressed her excitement about going to LSU in a post shared on her Instagram in April 2024, writing, “Baton Rouge is CALLIN’ #geauxtigers.”
According to a biography on the LSU website, she was “one of the best pole vaulters in the state of Louisiana coming out of high school.”
The former Fontainebleau High School student had recently won MileSplit LA Girls’ Performer of the Week, per WBRZ.
Elicia Ocmond, the athletic director at Fontainebleau High, described Reidenauer as “a great student and a great kid,” Nola reported.
“There are a lot of kids upset,” Ocmond told the outlet. “If you asked the teachers, they would tell you that she was a sweet, kind kid.”
Alongside her sporting accomplishments, Reidenauer was pursuing a degree in interior design.
A statement from LSU Athletics shared on their website said, “LSU Athletics is heartbroken to share the tragic news of the passing of freshman track and field student-athlete Dillon Reidenauer in a traffic incident Wednesday evening in Baton Rouge.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Dillon’s family, friends and teammates, as well as with those impacted by the loss of another individual who died as a result of the incident.
“We are providing resources and support to all of our student-athletes and staff directly impacted by this tragic loss,” the statement concluded.
Read the full article here
