The driver who caused the crash that killed former Minnesota Vikings rookie Khyree Jackson and two others last year pleaded guilty to three counts of negligent homicide under the influence of alcohol in a Maryland court Friday.
As part of a plea agreement, Cori Clingman, 25, is likely to serve three years in prison. Prosecutors will recommended a five-year sentence for each count, suspending all but one year to be served consecutively.
Clingman is set to be sentenced Feb. 4. She had faced a total of 13 charges prior to the plea deal.
She was allegedly driving over 100 mph and intoxicated when she caused a three-car crash on July 6, 2024, killing Jackson and two of his high school teammates, Isaiah Hazel and Anthony Lytton Jr.
Hazel was driving a Dodge Charger that was hit by Clingman’s Infiniti Q50. 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 a Chevrolet Impala that was also in the crash were uninjured.
“Incidents like these are not just accidents,” Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson said. “They are preventable tragedies that occur from conscious choices.”
Jackson, who was one month away from his 25th birthday at the time of his death, was Minnesota’s fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft and had taken part in Vikings minicamp and OTAs.
Hazel, 23, played football at Maryland and Charlotte. Lytton, 24, played at Florida State and Penn State.
