UCLA football player Nick Pasquale on Sunday was struck by a car and killed. The incident occurred in San Clemente, Calif., and remains under investigation, the Associated Press reports.
Pasquale, a 20-year-old redshirt freshman, was hit by the car around 1:30 a.m. while trying to cross a busy multi-lane street in a residential neighborhood. Police are investigating why the Bruins receiver was trying to cross the street.
"The driver called in the accident and waited at the scene," said Lt. Gary Strachan, an Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman, according to AutoWorldNews.com. "No one was arrested."
Pasquale played at San Clemente High School before attending UCLA last fall. He played on the Bruins' scout team last season and this past summer, earning the nickname of "Pacman." He played in the final offensive series on Aug. 31 against Nevada, although his name and number didn't appear on the participation report.
"This is a tragic loss," UCLA football coach Jim Mora said, according to the team website. "Nick was an outstanding young man who had a positive impact on everyone who knew him. He was a great teammate who was loved and respected by his entire team. Our thoughts are with the Pasquale family."
Friends and family held a vigil on Sunday at San Clemente High School, which Mora and teammates also attended.
The Bruins play at Nebraska on Saturday. Mora closed this week of practice to the media.
"The UCLA family lost a wonderful young man who represented the university, his team and his family well," UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero said, via the Associated Press. "Our hearts go out to the Pasquale family, and we will do everything we can to assist and support them, as well as his teammates, as they go through this unthinkable tragedy."
