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Jacksonville University women's soccer player killed in Baker County crash, 7 others hurt

The team was returning to Jacksonville from an out-of-town trip they had organized together, a statement from the university says.

BAKER COUNTY, Fla. — A group of Jacksonville University women's soccer team members were involved in a crash Sunday in Baker County that took the life of an 18-year-old student from St. Cloud, according to a statement from the university.

The team was returning to Jacksonville from an out-of-town trip they had organized together, the statement says. There were eight young women in the vehicle ranging from 18 to 21 years old, according to a release from the Florida Highway Patrol.

Stephanie Davis, a first-year student, was killed in the crash, according to the university. She was pronounced dead at Lake City Medical Center. Several other women were hurt, and some were taken to nearby hospitals to be treated and are recovering.

"Our campus community is devastated by this heartbreaking news," the university's statement says. "Jacksonville University leaders are in touch with the families of all students involved and are offering our full support to them and to the team, as well as counseling services to any students, faculty and staff who knew Stephanie."

Credit: Jacksonville University women's soccer
Jacksonville University women's soccer player Stephanie Davis was killed in a crash in Baker County Sunday, according to a statement from the university.

A Facebook post made by the team over the weekend indicated that the team was enjoying a team tubing outing on Saturday.

"A team that enjoys being together at soccer and away from soccer. Thank you... for taking our team tubing today!" the Facebook post reads.

A team that enjoys being together at soccer and away from soccer. Thank you to Howie Gonzalez for taking our team tubing today!

Posted by Jacksonville University Women's Soccer on Sunday, April 10, 2022

Jacksonville University President Tim Cost told The Wave, JU’s online magazine, that "Stephanie was a bright, talented young woman who was dearly loved by her teammates, coaches and professors here at Jacksonville University. As a university, we are focused on supporting her family and everyone who knew Stephanie, as we collectively mourn her loss.”

A planned JU Alumni game and social has now been postponed until next spring, the team announced on its social media pages. All alumni planning to attend have been contacted.

According to a release from the Florida Highway Patrol, the crash happened around 3:40 p.m. The women were traveling in an SUV headed eastbound on US-90 west of I-10. The SUV went off onto the south shoulder and over corrected, according to FHP.

When the vehicle came back onto the roadway, the driver over corrected again, according to the release, resulting in the vehicle spinning counterclockwise. The vehicle then overturned and landed on its passenger side on the south shoulder.

The driver of the SUV was a 20-year-old woman from Columbia, South Carolina, according to FHP. 

The passengers included a 20-year-old woman from Bellville, Illinois; a 20-year-old woman from Pembroke Pines; an 18-year-old woman from Jacksonville; a 19-year-old woman from Owings Mills, Maryland; a 20-year-old woman from Edwardsville, Illinois; and a 21-year-old woman from Brampton, Ontario, the release states. All seven were treated for minor injuries, according to FHP.

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