PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Saint Leo University is mourning the loss of a former women’s basketball player, 30-year-old Lauren Simone Lee.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 36-year-old Jonathan Aldea Valdes was driving drunk on U.S. 301 near Rapid River Boulevard when he lost control of his vehicle and hit a 2010 Honda driven by Lee.
Lee was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her Alma mater addressed her passing on Friday.
“We are saddened by the news of Lauren’s passing. She was a wonderful young woman, who always had a smile on her face. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family,” Saint Leo Vice President and Director of Athletics Fran Reidy said in a statement.
Saint Leo Lions’ women’s basketball against Florida Southern University in Saint Leo, Florida. 
Saint Leo Lions’ women’s basketball against Florida Southern University in Saint Leo, Florida.
Lee earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Saint Leo University in 2011.
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