The 23-year-old man killed early Saturday morning in a head-on crash in Aptos has been identified as Luke Salem, a Harbor High School graduate who played football for Cabrillo College.
The California Highway Patrol said a 49-year-old man was driving a red 2017 Honda CRV eastbound on Freedom Boulevard at an undetermined speed around 7:35am.
Salem was driving a white 1966 Chrysler Newport westbound on Freedom Boulevard at an undetermined speed.
For reasons still under investigation, the two vehicles slammed head-on into each other killing Salem, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Honda suffered minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Salem began playing for Cabrillo in 2019, Cabrillo Head Football Coach Justin Hansen said. The program was shut down in 2020, but he returned in 2022 and was registered to begin his sophomore year this year.
Hansen described Salem as a kind, open-minded person who was welcoming to new teammates and supportive to those who were having trouble.
While Salem was a skilled wide receiver, Hansen said, it was those qualities that mattered.
“The football stuff doesn’t really matter, he could have been the next Odell Beckham,” he said. “The big picture was that he was a great person inside and out. That didn’t change when he was having a hard time or wasn’t having success. He kept being a great person, and that’s a lot better man than I am, that’s for sure.”
The CHP said it is unknown if alcohol and/or drugs are factors in the crash.
