Woman indicted in crash that killed Vikings rookie Khyree Jackson

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — A woman has been indicted in connection to a crash that killed Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson in July 2024.

In a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Prince George’s County (Maryland) state attorney Aisha Braveboy announced that a grand jury returned a 13-count indictment against Cori Clingman, including counts of vehicular manslaughter and driving while under the influence of alcohol. Braveboy said Clingman is currently in custody pending a bond review. She’s facing a maximum sentence of 30 years, according to Braveboy.

Police said Jackson was riding in a vehicle on July 6, 2024, in Maryland with two former high school teammates when another vehicle attempting to change lanes struck them at a high rate of speed. The two teammates, Isaiah Hazel and Anthony Lytton, Jr., were also killed.

“These were three young men who had gotten it right in life, who had amazing, bright futures ahead of them.” said Braveboy. “But on July 6, they were taken from all of us. … This was a horrific tragedy that should not have occurred.”

The Vikings honored Jackson throughout the season in the locker room and on the field. His locker and No. 31 jersey went unused, while players wore a decal with his initials.

Jackson, 24, was a fourth-round pick for the Vikings and was in the running to earn a starting spot after a strong showing at OTAs. He was a receiver in high school and helped lead his team to two state championships before attending Arizona Western Community College. He returned home after just a few weeks and eventually got so good at video games, that he considered pursuing a career as an NBA 2K League player.

He was training for a tournament when he got a call from Fort Scott Community College about returning to the football field. He spent one season at Fort Scott before transferring to East Mississippi Community College for the 2020 season, which was eventually canceled due to COVID. He soon joined Alabama, where his first start came in the 2021 national championship game, and one year later, he transferred to Oregon to finish his collegiate career.

“From the moment Khyree was drafted and showed up here, he had a unique journey up until that moment,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said in a press conference at the time of Jackson’s death. 

“… Throughout the draft process and then his early time being a Minnesota Viking, you felt a guy that had such a laser focus on what his mission — his plan — was. And it really showed up in the spring. He had a very, very good spring, and was really looking forward to coming back to training camp and being well on his way to that path to having a big impact on our team for this year.”