Nick Pasquale, UCLA’s wide receiver, died this morning aged 20. He was struck by a vehicle while walking on Camino De Los Mares in San Clemente.
Pasquale was on his way home from a party when he was struck at 1:27 am. The San Clemente Times reports that two cars were apparently trying to overtake each other when he was hit. Police are looking into the incident but don’t believe alcohol was involved .
Pasquale’s former coach Jaime Ortiz commenting on the tragic death of Nick said:
“Nick was the epitome of what a Triton was all about. He was a three-year starter and ball boy for us. His older brother, A.J., played as well. His dad is on our football coaching staff as director of football operations. Talk about a family that is the prime example of being a Triton, that’s the family you point to.”
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department said that it did appear that Pasquale was walking in the road at the time when he was hit by the car. It is not clear why he was doing that.
Coach Ortiz continued, in a tribute to Nick Pasquale: “He was a vocal and physical leader for our teams … During his senior year he was the heart and soul of that team. He was everything you wanted in a player.”
