College athlete killed in head-on car crash: Utah officials

A college football player has died in a head-on crash on a slippery Utah highway, authorities said.

Lauren Bradshaw, 18, was driving eastbound SR-6 in the rain and snow near Soldier Summit in a Toyota Corolla when her vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic Saturday, Oct. 22, the Utah Department of Public Safety said in an Oct. 25 news release.

The vehicle collided with a pickup truck towing a “fifth camper,” and Bradshaw was killed on impact, according to the release.

Bradshaw attended Utah Eastern University and was a member of the women’s soccer team, according to the university’s athletics website.

“Lauren was the nicest person who could light up a room in an instant,” the USU East football team wrote in an Oct. 24 Facebook post. “Such a genuine and wonderful person.”

Others on Facebook commented on the post, calling Bradshaw “an amazing young woman.”

“Lauren was so kind and uplifting to everyone around her,” one Facebook user wrote.

Jess Brinkerhoffthe university’s athletic director, said Bradshaw was an “incredible member” of the football team in an Oct. 24 Utah East Athletics Facebook post.

“We are devastated by this heartbreaking news and pray that comfort can be found as we come together as a department and university,” Brinkerhoff said in a statement.

Friends, coaches, teammates and students gathered to celebrate Bradshaw’s life by releasing dozens of blue, purple and white balloons into the air, according to a video posted by Eastern Utah Athletics on Facebook on Tuesday, Oct. 25.

Before attending Utah Eastern University, Bradshaw attended Skyridge High School in Lehigh, where she also played soccer, according to the university’s athletics website.

“They won the state championship their freshman year and reached the state finals their senior year,” according to the track and field website.

In addition to her love of soccer, Bradshaw enjoyed baking and “doing anything outside,” according to the athletics website. Bradshaw had not yet decided on a major, but she knew she wanted to “create her own clothing line and was interested in radiology.”

Soldier Summit is about 90 miles southeast of Salt Lake City.