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Who was Tyrone White? Patriots’ James White’s father, 59, dies in Florida crash, mother in critical condition

Miami-Dade Police captain Tyrone White was declared dead at the scene while his wife, accompanying him, was said to be in a critical condition

Tyrone White, who is the father of New England Patriots’ running back James White, as well as a captain in the Miami-Dade Police Department was killed in a car accident in Broward, Florida, on Sunday, September 20. 

The tragic news of the car crash was first reported by Fox Sports South Florida radio host Andy Slater. "Sad news to report. Patriots' RB James White's father was in a car crash today and did not survive. His mother was also in the car and is in critical condition. White's father, Tyrone, was a captain with the Miami-Dade Police Department. James was told and is inactive tonight," he posted on Twitter, in reference to James scheduled to play with the Patriots Sunday night against the Seattle Seahawks. 

The crash happened on the 11800 block of Griffin Road in Cooper City at around 1 p.m. Sunday, according to preliminary information provided to the Miami Herald by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. First responders to arrive at the scene saw one car flipped and the other one on fire. White was declared dead at the scene while his wife, accompanying him, was said to be in a critical condition. She and another victim, who was not identified in the police report was airlifted to a nearby hospital. The cause behind the crash is still under investigation. 

According to records viewed by the Sun-Sentinel, Tyrone, 59, has been a police officer since 1984. Although not much information is available on Tyrone, a 2019 ESPN profile of James White stated that his dad played college football at Florida A&M University and became the school newspaper’s sports editor. James seemed to have followed in his dad's footsteps.

After being born in Fort Lauderdale, James attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School, where he was a standout in the football program under legendary coach George Smith. He went on to play college football at the University of Wisconsin. After being picked by The Patriots in the fourth round of the 2014 draft, he went onto win three Super Bowls while on the team. He also has a Super Bowl record of 14 passes against the Atlanta Falcons in the 2017 title game. James is one of 30 Aquinas graduates to have been drafted into the NFL.

After hearing the news, Miami-Dade Police Department Director Alfredo Ramirez III tweeted his condolences, writing, “I’m extremely saddened after learning of the passing of MDPD Captain Tyrone White earlier today as a result of an off-duty traffic crash in Broward County. I offered his family my deepest condolences on behalf of his MDPD family. May he rest in eternal peace. Thank you for your service Capt. White. Thank you for your service Capt. White. My sincere appreciation also goes out to @browardsheriff for your professionalism during this difficult time. @bsosherifftony"

Seahawks quarterback, Russell Wilson, tweeted a message for White before the game: “Praying for you bro.”

Soon a ton of prayers and condolences started to pour in from James' fans. "Prayers going out to the man family and friend god bless," one wrote while another said, "Brutal that’s devastating cannot imagine the feelings! Prayers and thoughts to his family! Much love!" A third commented, "So sad..... praying for him and also that his Mom pulls through and for his family too." A fourth wrote, "So sorry for your loss James! Prayers for your mom. Peace to you"