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Texas high school football player dies in car accident

An El Paso Franklin senior was among 3 reported deaths in car accident near Arizona-New Mexico border Saturday
Andy Buhler|
El Paso Franklin High School football players wait for practice to begin on Thursday Aug. 15, 2024.
El Paso Franklin High School football players wait for practice to begin on Thursday Aug. 15, 2024. | GABY VELASQUEZ/ EL PASO TIMES / USA TODAY NETWORK

A West Texas high school football player has reportedly died in a car accident over the weekend.

El Paso Franklin senior Emmanuel Lopez was killed in a car accident in Arizona, multiple outlets reported on Sunday. Lopez is listed on Franklin's roster as a wide receiver and safety.

The El Paso Franklin football program's booster club called Lopez a "voice for others" and a "smile that lit up any room" in a post on Sunday.

"You are and will always be our Franklin Family," the program's booster club said on Sunday.

The football team's booster club identified Lopez as one of three individuals killed in a collision on the Arizona side of the state line with New Mexico. The passenger vehicle collided with a tractor-trailer, which reportedly caught on fire in the aftermath, the Arizona DOT told Fox 14 News in El Paso.

Lopez was reportedly in transit to the Arizona Cardinals game in Glendale, Arizona, El Paso Franklin coach Daren Walker told the El Paso Times.

Lopez recorded six tackles in Franklin's 36-14 loss to Monterey on Friday. He was a multi-year contributor to the football team and recorded 41 tackles as a junior.

The vehicle collision took place when a semi-truck hit a passenger vehicle on Saturday around 5 p.m., The Arizona Republic reported. The incident resulted in the closure of Interstate-10 west-bound on Saturday, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Lopez was one of three reported deaths and all three occurred in the passenger vehicle, the Arizona Department of Public Safety told the El Paso Times.

Franklin is 1-2 on the season after a Week 1 win over Chapin, a loss to Del Valle and Friday's loss at Monterey.

This is a developing story.

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-- Andy Buhler | andy@scorebooklive.com | @sblivetx

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Andy Buhler
ANDY BUHLER

Andy Buhler is a Portland, Oregon-based sportswriter with more than nine years of experience covering high school sports across the country. He's covered the likes of Paolo Banchero and Tari Eason, served on state tournament seeding committees and launched the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national boys basketball rankings. He has covered everything from the Final Four, MLS in Atlanta to local velodrome before diving into the world of preps. His bylines can be found in The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington), The Associated Press, The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington), The Oregonian and more. He holds a journalism degree from Gonzaga.

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