Beloved high school football player hit, killed by allegedly drunken driver after game

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. (KING) - Friends, family and teammates are mourning a 16-year-old Washington state student-athlete who was hit and killed by an allegedly drunken driver after a Friday night football game.

Deejay Tuiasosopo, 16, came from a family of standout athletes, including an all-star University of Washington quarterback – but his family says he was building his own legacy. The Federal Way High School junior played multiple sports, valued his education and cared about the people around him.

“He was always there for you. He always had a big smile on his face, no matter what was going on,” said Tuiasosopo’s friend, Stormie Corey. “He was lighting up every single room.”

After a Friday night football game, Tuiasosopo was standing on the sidewalk around 10:45 p.m. when two cars collided on Pacific Highway South in Federal Way. The crash sent one of the cars onto the sidewalk, hitting and killing the 16-year-old.

Police arrested the 29-year-old man driving the car that hit Tuiasosopo on suspicion of vehicular homicide. Investigators suspect he was driving under the influence.

“It didn’t feel real. It felt like I was stuck in a nightmare. Nothing can prepare you for that kind of moment,” Corey said. “He had so much life to live.”

Now, Tuiasosopo’s family, friends and teammates are left mourning his death, a loss that still doesn’t feel real.

“He wasn’t just a friend. He was a brother to me, and I just feel like all of us football players are going to remember this night,” said Chester Maletala, one of his football teammates. “We’re still going to have him spiritually in our hearts and in our head. We told ourselves already we’re going to make it to state for him.”

Tuiasosopo’s family said in a statement in part that “his energy, light and infectious presence reached far beyond what we, as his family, even realized.”

The suspect’s next court appearance is expected Wednesday. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.