It is a heavy week for the folks over at James Madison University. A tragic accident took the life of one of their former football players on Thursday morning. Lucas Charles “Luke” Warner was only 26 years old when a terrible highway crash cut his journey short.
Luke used to suit up as a defensive lineman for the JMU Dukes back in 2018 and 2019. He spent his time there grinding on the field as a freshman and a redshirt freshman. His old team remembers him as a dedicated teammate and a great guy to be around.
The whole thing went down on U.S. 70 in Johnston County, North Carolina. It was a regular morning until things took a sudden, devastating turn. A state department of transportation crew had pulled over to clear a dead deer off the road. They had their emergency lights flashing to warn drivers to slow down.
Traffic started backing up and slowing down just like it was supposed to. Luke was driving his beige 2013 Nissan Versa and following the flow of the traffic. He was just minding his own business and navigating his morning commute.
Then out of nowhere, absolute chaos struck from behind. A blue 2026 Toyota RAV4 came flying down the road and slammed right into the back of Luke’s compact Nissan. The impact was incredibly violent. It shoved his car forward, pinning it directly into the rear of the heavy state truck.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene as fast as they could, but it was already too late. Luke was pronounced dead right there on the highway. The drivers of the Toyota and the state truck got lucky and walked away with just minor injuries. They ended up at UNC Health Johnston to get checked out.
Now, a whole community is left trying to pick up the pieces. The JMU football program put out a statement saying they are deeply saddened by the news. They are sending all their love and prayers to his family and friends. To help out, local folks have already set up an online meal train to make sure his family is taken care of during this heartbreaking time.
