SHOCKING NEWS: Florida Gators quarterback announced and confirmed his death on his way home from practice

The term “accident 500” likely refers to incidents at the Daytona 500, a prominent NASCAR race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Florida. While the Florida Gators are primarily associated with collegiate athletics, particularly football, there isn’t a direct connection between the team and the Daytona 500.

However, the “Fresh From Florida 250,” a NASCAR Truck Series race at Daytona, has a title that might suggest a connection to Florida-based organizations. In February 2024, this race concluded dramatically when Taylor Gray’s truck flipped in a significant wreck. Despite the severity of the crash, Gray was reported to be unharmed. 

For a visual recap of this incident, you can watch the following video:‌

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The way the day was going, you wondered if this was finally the Gators’ year against Georgia.

The weather was Sunshine State on a postcard. The drive to EverBank Stadium was a Sunday stroll down University Avenue. And no one was passed out in your parking spot by noon.

“We showed up, and we believed we could beat that team,” Florida head coach Billy Napier said.

Once the annual Florida-Georgia game kicked off, the Gators looked like they belonged on the field with the No. 2-ranked Bulldogs, which had not happened in recent years. Georgia had outscored Florida by 72 points in three consecutive wins in the series by 20-plus points.

But on Saturday, in one of this century’s more odd Florida-Georgia games, the recent past seemed of little consequence. Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck was playing more like Ray Goff. Gators freshman DJ Lagway threw a deep touchdown pass that would make Steve Spurrier smile, and the Gators led at halftime for the first time against Georgia since 2020.

Yes, there is another “but” coming. Here you go: But the game changed dramatically on a run by Lagway late in the second quarter. You might have to go back 15 years to find a single play that turned the stomachs of Florida fans as much. That was the night in 2009 when Kentucky’s Taylor Wyndham delivered a vicious hit on Tim Tebow that knocked Tebow out and left him sprawled on the turf.

Lagway never lost consciousness Saturday, but when his teammates came onto the field to console the true freshman quarterback as he was carted off, everyone in the crowd of more than 76,000 fans understood the impact.

The most promising piece of Florida’s upset bid — and more significantly, the Gators’ most prized possession — was finished for the game, perhaps much longer after injuring his left hamstring on an otherwise uneventful 3-yard run.

“It’s obviously really tough,” receiver Chimere Dike said. “We felt like we had momentum.”