Dillon Reidenauer, a Louisiana State University (LSU) Athletics freshman pole vaulter, died in a tragic traffic accident Wednesday night.
She was pursuing a degree in interior design, a statement by LSU read. The student and athlete was only 18 years old, according to WBRZ 2. (RELATED: REPORT: Former LSU Football Coach Les Miles Suing School Over Vacated Wins)
“We are devastated by the tragic passing of Dillon Reidenauer, who was taken from us much too soon,” Dennis Shaver, LSU’s track and field coach, said. “Everyone in our LSU Track & Field family is keeping Dillon’s loved ones in our thoughts and prayers, as well as those of the other individual lost in the incident.”
Shaver promised that resources would be available for people needing to process the loss.
The accident occurred on LSU’s campus close to Tiger Stadium when a motorcycle crashed into a car, WBRZ 2 reported. Two people, Reidernauer and the motorcyclist Bodhi Linton, died in the collision and both vehicles caught fire. Linton’s 61-year-old mother died in a motorcycle crash in May 2024.
It is with immense sadness that we announce the passing of freshman Dillon Reidenauer.https://t.co/v91iiE6ig1 pic.twitter.com/A7XVEr89lZ
— LSU Track & Field (@LSUTrackField) February 27, 2025
Reidenauer was the one of highest-ranked prep pole vaulters in the state already when she was in high school, according to LSU. She won 2nd place at the 2024 LHSAA State 5A Championships and when she was a high school junior she reached fourth place in a state meet.
“LSU Athletics is heartbroken to share the tragic news of the passing of freshman track and field student-athlete Dillon Reidenauer in a traffic incident Wednesday evening in Baton Rouge. Our thoughts and prayers are with Dillon’s family, friends and teammates, as well as with those impacted by the loss of another individual who died as a result of the incident,” LSU Athletics said in a statement.
In 2022, 6,222 motorcyclists perished in crashes, according to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) statistics. These deaths amounted to the most on record for a given year and a 23% increase from 2019. They represented approximately 15% of all deaths from crashes in motor vehicles throughout the year. The IIHS is a nonprofit focused on reducing deaths, injuries and property damage from car accidents through research.
This article was originally published at dailycaller.com
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