MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – The community continues to grieve the death of former Theodore football player Ryan Quinney.

The 20-year-old died in a car crash in Mississippi on Friday night.

“He tried to better himself so he could make others better… and that was Ryan,” said Anthony Cox, Ryan’s stepfather.

According to our sister station WLBT, Yazoo County Coroner Ricky Shivers said Quinney was a passenger in a car that fled from the Mississippi Highway Patrol.

Quinney’s stepfather described what state troopers told him.

“They were trying to get stopped for speeding and the driver of the car, one of their brothers, decided he didn’t want to stop and that’s how the high-speed chase began,” Cox explained.

Coroner Shivers told WLBT It was stated that the driver of the vehicle lost control of the steering wheel before entering the ditch, crashed into a parked car and flew into the air. Shivers says the car eventually came to a stop in a yard on Talbert Drive. Quinney was pronounced dead at the scene.

Cox describes how she felt when she received a heartbreaking phone call from Ryan’s twin brother, Ryheem.

“Your first instinct to hear that this is your own child is, I need to get to him and I need to get to him as quickly as possible,” Cox said.

The driver of the car is now paralyzed from the chest down, Cox said. Meanwhile, he specifically requests prayers for Ryan’s twin brother, Ryheem.

He says both children are inseparable.

“They were loyal to each other; They were not identical twins, they were fraternal, but they were absolutely loyal. They wouldn’t tell each other. “I could ask him where his brother was and he would say I didn’t know, even though he knew where he was the whole time,” he said.

Theodore Bobcat Football released the following statement on social media:

It is with sadness that we remember and honor the life of beloved former Bobcats player Ryan Quinney. Ryan’s impact on and off the field will never be forgotten. His dedication, leadership and love of the game inspired everyone who knew him. Rest in peace Ryan. You will always be part of the Bobcat family.”

FOX10 News continues to ask law enforcement for more details about the crash and investigation.

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