A driver involved in the crash that killed Minnesota Vikings rookie Khyree Jackson and two others was arrested Thursday and charged with 13 counts, including DUI and criminally negligent vehicular manslaughter, the Prince George's County (Maryland) state attorney said.
Cori Clingman, who was 23 at the time of the accident, remained in custody as of Thursday evening and will have a bond hearing scheduled soon, attorney Aisha Braveboy said.
"This was a horrific tragedy that should not have occurred," Braveboy said. "This really just starts our fight to get justice."
The three-car crash occurred at 3:14 a.m. on July 6, 2024. Isaiah Hazel and Anthony Lytton Jr., two high school football teammates of Jackson's, were also killed.
Hazel, 23, played at Maryland and Charlotte. Lytton, 24, played at Florida State and Penn State.
Maryland State Police said last summer that Hazel was driving a Dodge Charger with Jackson in the passenger seat when their car was struck by an Infiniti Q50 driven by Clingman, who was attempting to change lanes at a high speed. Clingman's car also struck a Chevrolet Impala. The Charger left the road and struck multiple tree stumps. According to police, Jackson and Hazel were pronounced dead at the scene, while Lytton was transported to a hospital before being pronounced dead by hospital personnel.
Clingman, the two passengers in her car and the driver of the Impala were uninjured.
Braveboy said Thursday that she could not add many details because the investigation is "ongoing." She did not reveal Clingman's exact blood alcohol content but confirmed it was "at least" above the legal limit of 0.08% in Maryland.
Jackson, who was one month away from his 25th birthday at the time of his death, was the Vikings' fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft. He attended spring OTAs and minicamp and endeared himself to a veteran team with his enthusiasm and confidence.
The Vikings donated $20,000 toward expenses for Jackson's funeral and also paid out his $827,148 signing bonus to his estate.
A contingent of players and staff members attended his funeral, during which coach Kevin O'Connell was one of the featured speakers. Players wore a "KJ" sticker on the back of their helmets throughout season, while coaches and staff members wore pins with the same initials.
"You felt [Jackson] had such a laser focus on what his mission and what his plan was," O'Connell said during training camp. "It really showed up in the spring. He had a very, very good spring and was really looking forward to coming back to training camp and being well on his way [and] on that path to having a big impact on our team for this year. Just some of my personal dialogue with him and the work he was putting in throughout the summer, you just knew he was going to come back and do that."
In an ESPN feature story that aired earlier this month, O'Connell said he "fell in love" with Jackson during his brief time with the team this spring and that players and coaches rallied around his memory.
"We're all grieving and we all grieve in our own ways," O'Connell said. "But there's not thing more powerful than grieving together, and we're going to do it in the way that best honors Khyree and his family."
