A former Fort Valley State basketball player from metro Atlanta died last week in a single-car crash in South Georgia.
D’Angelo Strickland, a 22-year-old graduate student, was from Lithonia. The fatal crash happened Sept. 9 in Bulloch County.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. D’Angelo Strickland,” Fort Valley State President Paul Jones said in a statement. “Mr. Strickland was a cherished part of our Wildcat campus community and a passionate former student-athlete. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this time.”
Strickland was traveling east on Ga. 404 just after 3 a.m. when he drove off the road, overcorrected, lost control and his car overturned, according to an accident report from the Georgia State Patrol. He was ejected from the 2007 Pontiac G6-GT and died at the scene, the report said.
In two seasons, Strickland started 33 of the team’s 58 games, including 23 last season. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 19.7 minutes, 6.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game with a career-high 22 points against Savannah State last season.
Shortly before Strickland’s death, Coach Mark Sherrill said he had the opportunity to tell Strickland how proud he was of his tenacity and accomplishments.
“He was a well-rounded young man,” Sherrill said in a news release. “He had character and was very focused. (His mother) reminded me that D’Angelo beat all odds. He didn’t even play basketball in high school, but he ended up becoming a starter for FVSU and graduating. He made all of us so proud.”
Credit: Fort Valley State University
Credit: Fort Valley State University
Strickland had just completed his bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing last month and had been accepted into the university’s clinical mental health counseling graduate program, according to the school.
The university’s flags will be flown at half-staff from sunrise Saturday until sunset Sunday in Strickland’s memory. Funeral arrangements at the West End Chapel of Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home in Lithonia include a viewing Friday and a celebration of life at 10 a.m. Saturday.
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