SJSU freshman football player Camdan McWright dies at 18

A candlelight vigil was held Friday night for Camdan McWright, an 18-year-old San Jose State football player who died earlier that morning in a traffic accident on Tenth and Reed streets.

McWright, who was from Los Angeles, was on his way to a workout at South Campus Friday when he was struck by a school bus with 14 kids on board at 6:51 a.m., according to a Friday NBC News article. 

McWright was riding a Lime electric scooter northbound on Tenth Street through a green light, when he collided with the San Jose Unified School District bus, according to a Friday Mercury News article. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Diane Kabukuru, SJSU student and best friend of McWright, attended the vigil in mourning along with several of McWright’s teammates and coaches to say goodbye.

“He was a beautiful soul and he will be dearly missed,” Kabukuru said. “He had a beautiful smile and always made everyone happy and always made everyone smile, thank you everyone for showing up.”

Soon after news broke of the fatal incident, Director of Athletics Jeff Konya announced in a statement that the scheduled away game against New Mexico State in Las Cruces Saturday would be postponed.

Konya stated in light of recent events the game will be rescheduled for later in the season and thanked New Mexico State’s Football program for being accommodating at this time. 

The vigil started around 6 p.m. with hundreds of attendees gathering on campus.

The crowd then marched down Tenth Street, escorted by a San Jose Police Department vehicle, toward the site of the incident.

Attendees gathered in a circle around about 30 prayer candles and memorabilia in honor of McWright. 

SJPD closed down the intersection for two blocks in all directions to accommodate the crowd.

The collection of candles that the crowd faced was on the southeast corner of the intersection with the closest circle of people around the candles being predominantly teammates and those closest to McWright.

Several football players declined to speak to the Spartan Daily.

Engineering freshman Khoa Nguyen said he remembers seeing McWright around his dorm floor. After and after he received a text from his father about the vigil, he felt he should go.

“I was just shocked,” Nguyen said. “I didn’t know him personally but a lot of my friends knew him, I knew his face and I’d seen him on my floor.” 

The SJSU athletic community was a large portion of those in attendance, which included Jeff Konya and Interim President Steve Perez.

“I think it’s very important for the community to come together and assist the grieving process,” Konya said. “I think it’s a show of solidarity and shows just how close-knit San Jose State is as a community.”

McWright’s death was one of many pedestrian deaths this year in San Jose.

This year is on pace to be a record year for pedestrian deaths in San Jose with SJPD tallying 28 pedestrian fatalities so far, according to an Oct. 14 KTVU article. 

Since 2015, the city has been addressing pedestrian and bicycle collisions and injuries through its Vision Zero Network, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths by enhancing roadway safety with new measures, according to the Vision Zero Network website.

30 people died in pedestrian or bicycle related traffic collisions in 2021, according to Vision Zero’s Maps and Data webpage.

Despite legislative initiatives, communities are left to deal with the loss of loved ones.

“What I’m exceptionally proud of is the coming together of the community to support each other,” Perez said. “That’s the only way that we get through times like this is leaning on each other and this is a special community where people care about each other.”