Tyrell Yates Car Accident Slidell, LA Death Obituary – What Happened to Tyrell Yates?
Tyrell Yates, a student-athlete from Slidell, Louisiana, was among three Southeastern Louisiana University students killed in a single-vehicle crash in Tangipahoa Parish on Monday, September 28, 2026. His death has left family, friends, classmates, and members of the basketball community grieving.
The Tangipahoa Parish Coroner’s Office identified the victims as Yates, Brian Smith II, and Carmelo Riley. Authorities said the three were traveling on U.S. 51 near Ponchatoula when their vehicle crashed.
Louisiana State Police reported that, at about 3:30 a.m., the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control and struck a concrete support column on the left side of the roadway. The crash remains under investigation.
Who Was Tyrell Yates?
Southeastern Louisiana University listed Yates as a 6-foot-4 freshman guard from Slidell and a graduate of Northshore High School. He was studying psychology and had continued playing basketball at the collegiate level after competing in high school.
For those who knew him through school, basketball, and the Slidell community, Yates was more than an athlete. His death has brought an outpouring of grief from classmates, teammates, friends, and others who knew him.
Southeastern Louisiana University also mourned the loss of all three students. University President William S. Wainwright offered condolences to their families, friends, classmates, faculty, and others affected by their deaths.
What Happened?
According to authorities, Yates was traveling with Smith and Riley on U.S. 51 near Ponchatoula when the vehicle crashed. State Police said the vehicle struck a concrete support column after the driver lost control. Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Yates’s death cuts short a young life shaped by education, basketball, and future aspirations. Those who knew him will remember his time on the court, his school communities, and the friendships he formed.
As Slidell and the Southeastern Louisiana University community grieve, condolences are with the families and loved ones of Tyrell Yates, Brian Smith II, and Carmelo Riley.
