Former U.S. U-17 player Gray Griffin, a freshman at Furman, was killed in a car accident Friday morning when his SUV overturned and was struck by a tractor-trailer on I-85, according to the South Carolina highway patrol.
Three of Griffin's Furman classmates were injured in the accident. Chefik Simo of Dallas suffered a fractured pelvis and other injuries. He was listed in stable condition at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. Josh Villalobos of Fayetteville, N.C., and Sean Murray of Wauwatosa, Wisc., were also injured.
Griffin, Simo and Villalobos were residents together at the second U-17 program. Griffin and Simo played in the 2001 Under-17 World Cup. Simo has been a starter on the U-20 team that will take part in qualifying for the 2003 World Youth Championship next month in Charleston, S.C.