LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — The Lakeland United Football Club is mourning one of their own a 24-year-old soccer player from Brazil killed after he was killed by a car crashing into his home.
Lakeland police said the deadly crash happened near the intersection of Longfellow Boulevard and North Crystal Lake Drive after 4 p.m. Monday.
Yuri dos Santos Vasconcelos, 24, is remembered as altruistic, courageous, and as a leader.
“He embodied everything that we strive to be as a club, because of his optimism and hunger, and to succeed in life,” said Tauan Salgado, Lakeland United Football Club cofounder. “Probably the most altruistic player that I’ve ever worked with in my whole life.”
Salgado said his club is a semi-professional soccer team that runs as an international bridge program to place players in college.
“We helped get him into Faulkner University in Alabama,” Salgado said.
His teammates and roommates are left in shock.
“I heard one of my roommate shout not again so at that point, I figured another car ran into the house,” said Mario Thomas, Yuri’s roommate.
Thomas said last week, a truck ran into their home off North Crystal Lake Drive, and on Monday afternoon, he woke up to a loud boom as Yuri and another roommate were cooking.
“I saw the Dodge in the living room,” said Thomas. “There was debris drywall and white smoke in the air”
Lakeland Police said the Dodge Durango was heading south on Longfellow Boulevard when the driver failed to stop and hit two signs before crashing into their home hitting and killing Yuri.
“He was screaming, accidental,” said Thomas.
Thomas noticed the driver had a passenger who was a child in the car with him. Police said they are gathering evidence to determine if the driver will face any charges.
Thomas said changes need to be made, and barriers need to be put in place at this intersection to prevent another driver from hitting his home.
“At this point, I can only think about the family that’s in Brazil and we’re trying to return him safe to Brazil back to the family,” Salgado said.
Lakeland United FC is raising money on GoFundMe to send Yuri’s body back to Brazil so he can be laid to rest.
