Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College announced that men’s soccer player Landon Perry was killed in a crash on Sunday afternoon.
Perry, an 18-year-old freshman defender, played for D’Iberville High School before joining the team in Perkinston.
Authorities responded to a crash at 5:20 p.m. on Perkinston-Silver Run, west of the college’s campus. The Stone County Coroner’s Office stated that Perry and a friend were heading back to campus on electric scooters when a car hit them. Perry died at a local emergency room while the friend, whose name has not been released, sustained minor injuries. The driver of the vehicle stayed on the scene.
“Landon’s been family before he even stepped foot on campus,” head men’s soccer coach Chris Handy said in a Monday morning statement. Handy coached Perry at the club level for about four years before he committed to play at MGCCC.
“He’s a person who would speak his discipline through his faith, his play on the field, [and] his education. He was a person who 100 percent wanted to be the very best person and player he possibly could be,” Handy continued. “I know how much his teammates loved him. I know how much his family loved him. I know the coaches loved him. He was always striving to set a good example, not just for his teammates but for his little brother and his little brother’s friends. He’s family.”
It’s the second death of a student-athlete at MGCCC in recent months after football player Marcus Dickey died in a car crash in August.
Dr. Mary S. Graham, the college’s president, and athletic director Steven Campbell also issued statements Monday morning after Perry’s passing.
“Our MGCCC family is grieving the loss of a bright young life,” Graham said. “We hold the student’s oved ones close in our thoughts and remain committed to supporting our students and employees during this difficult time.”
“Our prayers go out to the Perry family,” Campbell added. “Landon was an outstanding young man, and he will always be a cherished member of the Gulf Coast family.”
Funeral arrangements for Perry have not yet been announced.