Jadarius Garner, Troy Football Player, Found Dead On Side Of Miss. Highway; Cause Of Death Unknown: Report

A Troy University football player was found dead on the side of a Mississippi road on Thursday.

Mississippi Highway Patrol officers responding to a report of a two-car accident discovered the body of Jadarius Garner, a sophomore defensive end at Troy, the Dothan Eagle reports. Garner was found dead near the town of Oreilly, which is about 40 miles from his hometown of Clarksdale.

The exact cause of Garner’s death has yet to be determined, but authorities revealed that at least two vehicles had “traveled” over the 20-year-old’s body, the Dothan Eagle reports. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation’s Accident Investigation Division will now work to determine the circumstances behind Garner’s death.

"I can't express how deeply saddened we are by the loss of Jadarius," Troy athletic director John Hartwell said in a press release. "Our hearts go out to his family, friends and teammates in this unimaginable time of pain, and we will do all that we can to help and support them."

"This is a terrible tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers go out to Jadarius' family in this time of grief," Troy head coach Larry Blakeney said, according to the Associated Press. "Jadarius was a well-respected member of our football team, and his loss will be felt by all of us."

Garner was a reserve for the Troy football team, but saw significant playing time this season. He recorded seven tackles for loss, and three sacks, and was named the Sun Belt Conference’s Player of the Week after a strong performance in September.