Regarding the two Morehouse College students that were killed in a tragic car accident on Monday, the students were identified as 20-year-old Christon Files, and 20-year-old Hugh Douglas—son of former NFL player Hugh Douglas.
Georgia State Patrol reported that the incident took place during Labor Day, shortly after 5:00 PM EDT. Douglas and Files Jr. were allegedly traveling in a vehicle, and attempted to pass another vehicle on a curve at a high rate of speed. The end result was that their vehicle ended up crashing into two utility poles, and subsequently turned over. Both men were pronounced dead on the scene.
“Hugh and Christion were not just friends but also roommates during their sophomore year, and their loss is deeply felt by all of us in the Morehouse family,” Kevin Booker, vice president for student services and dean of the college, said in a statement. “During these difficult times, we must come together as a community to remember and celebrate the lives of Hugh and Christion. They leave a legacy of excellence, passion, and dedication that will continue to inspire us all.”
Douglas, in one simple sentence, expressed both his grief, and his love for his son, on Twitter:
“You were already a better man than me,” Douglas said.
Al Morganti stepped up to temporarily fill in for Douglas during Tuesday’s radio show. He took a moment to his own words of encouragement to his comrade:
“We deal with words, and there are no words,” Morganti said. “When you deal with the public like we do here, it’s like an enormous family that’s grieving with him. It’s little comfort at this point, but he has to know that there’s just so many people feeling the pain that he feels.”
As a parent, the last thing you ever want is to have to bury your own children. All of our best wishes and prayers go out to the Douglas family, as well as the family of Christion Files Jr. Bright young men, with even brighter futures, taken from us well before they were ready.
Morehouse mourns the loss of Hugh Douglas '25 & Christion Files Jr. '25, who were involved in a devastating car accident on Monday. These young men leave a legacy of excellence, passion, and dedication that will continue to inspire us all.https://t.co/xgcM7OZfsN pic.twitter.com/QnRYryBrqK
— Morehouse College (@Morehouse) September 5, 2023
You were already a better man than me. pic.twitter.com/HKfUu7888c
— Hugh Douglas🤘🏿 (@Bighugh53) September 5, 2023