Khyree Jackson

By Zak Failla From Daily Voice

A woman responsible for a crash in Maryland that claimed the lives of Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson and two former teammates last year has pleaded guilty, authorities announced.

Cori Clingman, 25, pleaded guilty this week to three counts of negligent homicide under the influence of alcohol for her role in the July 2024 crash that claimed the lives of 24-year-old Khyree Jackson, 23-year-old Isaiah Hazel, and 24-year-old Anthony Lytton, Jr., according to the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office.

In July 2024, Clingman and the victims, who were all friends traveling from the same location, were driving at high speeds in separate vehicles on MD-4, also known as Pennsylvania Avenue. 

The investigation revealed that Clingman’s reckless driving caused the incident that led to the crash, killing all three young men inside the other car.  

“This was a horrific tragedy that shouldn’t have happened,” prosecutors said at a news conference as they announced the 13-count indictment against Clingman earlier this year.

"This just starts our fight to get justice for these three young men, their families, and this entire community."

According to investigators, at around 3:15 a.m. on Saturday, July 6 last year, troopers were called to a crash in the northbound lanes of Route 4 and Presidential Parkway north of Dower House Road where there was a reported crash involving an Infiniti Q50, a Chevy Impala, and the Charger. 

All three victims starred at Wise High School, and Lytton played for Penn State for one season before spending two at Florida State.

It was determined that the driver of the Infiniti - later identified as Clingman - was speeding north on Route 4 when she attempted to change lanes, and struck the other two vehicles.

The Charger went off the right side of the road and struck multiple tree stumps before coming to rest, police say.

Jackson and Hazel were pronounced dead at the scene. Lytton was rushed to the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.

Clingman and her two passengers were uninjured, as was the driver of the Impala. 

Jackson bounced around colleges before settling at Oregon for his final season, where he worked his way up to a fourth-round pick (108th overall) as an all-Pac-12 first-team selection.

Ducks Coach Dan Lanning paid tribute to Jackson on social media as news of the fatal crash was released.

Clingman will remain on home detention until her sentencing in February 2026, officials said.

Prosecutors have recommended a sentence of five years, suspending all but one year, for each count, to run consecutively. In total, the State is recommending 15 years, suspending all but three years.

“While today’s plea brings a measure of accountability, I know that it cannot ease the heartbreak or bring back Khyree, Isaiah, and Anthony, whose lives were lost in this devastating crash,” said State’s Attorney Tara Jackson. 

“I hope that this case serves as a reminder of how quickly lives can change and brings greater awareness to our community about the dangers of reckless and impaired driving."

"As we enter the holiday season, I want to urge everyone to drive safely. The choices we make behind the wheel carry real consequences,” Jackson added. “I want to thank our dedicated prosecutors as well as the Maryland State Police who worked tirelessly on this case.”