The longtime coach of Syracuse University’s Basketball team, Jim Boeheim, struck and killed a man that was standing along the side of an interstate highway on Wednesday night, as he tried to avoid hitting the pedestrian’s disabled vehicle.
51-year-old Jorge Jimenez was one of the occupants of a vehicle that lost control and hit a guardrail right before midnight Wednesday on I-690 in Syracuse, New York. Boeheim struck the man as he stood on the side of the road shortly after the initial accident.
Boeheim immediately stopped and stayed on the scene and is said to be fully cooperating with the police investigation.
“I am heartbroken that a member of our community died as the result of last night’s accident,” Boeheim said in a prepared statement. The 74-year-old Basketball Hall of Fame coach said he and his wife Juli “extend our deepest sympathies to the Jimenez family.”
He said he would not comment further “out of respect for those involved.”
No tickets were issued to Boeheim at the time of the accident as the investigation is still ongoing.
Police sources said that sobriety tests administered to Boeheim and the unidentified driver of the other vehicle were negative of any signs of impairment. Light rain and freezing rain were falling Wednesday night, but it is unclear if police consider the weather as a possible factor in the crash.
Boeheim was on his way home from a dinner date with family and friends after the game. The scene of the accident was located somewhere between the dome and Boeheim’s suburban home.
Syracuse University director of Athletics John Wildhack said in a statement the university sent its condolences to “all impacted by this tragic accident.” Wildhack echoed police, saying Boeheim “is in contact with local authorities and cooperating fully.”
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