High school football player dies in heat wave, family files lawsuit

• High school football player Trey Laster collapsed and died during practice in 103-degree heat.
• The new lawsuit says Luster’s football coaches made him run sprints even after he vomited.
• At the time of Laster’s death, his district was just conducting heatstroke training, according to the complaint.

The parents of a Mississippi high school football player are suing the school district after his coach forced him to sprint in the heat.

The family of Trey Luster, who was 17 at the time of his death, filed a lawsuit against the Rankin County School District on Jan. 11, according to court records. Laster died on Aug. 1, 2022, when the heat index was 103 degrees, according to the complaint.

The family’s attorney, Ben Crump, said in a statement that Laster “vomited and subsequently lost consciousness due to the extreme circumstances, his coach’s failure to properly adjust his training to his environment, and his high risk factors.” ” he said.

According to the lawsuit, during the heatwave that hit the region in August 2022, school officials received “numerous warnings” that students were more susceptible to heatstroke and “were not sure what precautions to take. He was given specific instructions regarding the at each practice or sporting event. ”

It was the first day of football practice, and the team had not yet gone through the district’s “two-week acclimation” procedure, according to the complaint.

Rankin County School District did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.

Laster’s 6’1″ height and 328-pound frame made him particularly susceptible to heatstroke, placing him in the highest category for heat stroke, the complaint said. Coaches reportedly ordered Luster to do a sprint when he arrived for practice during a game, “the hottest part of the day.”

Laster vomited, but his coaches told him to keep running. He vomited a second time and lost consciousness, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit also alleges that the coaching staff mistreated Luster, failed to provide him with proper medical care after he passed out, and instead placed him in the bed of a truck, which would have been “hotter than the surrounding area.” He is accusing him of having carried the vehicle.

“No child should ever risk their life pursuing their passion, especially under the supervision and guidance of adults who know when to stop pushing a young athlete,” Crump said in a statement. ” he said. “Trey’s tragic death could and should have been prevented by those responsible and demonstrates a serious lack of compliance with heatstroke prevention guidelines.”

Laster’s family suffered emotional distress and emotional distress and had to pay for Laster’s medical bills, according to the suit. The lawsuit seeks a jury trial, attorney’s fees and other monetary damages.

Deaths of student athletes continue to occur one after another.

The lawsuit says Laster died from exertional heat stroke, the leading cause of preventable death among high school athletes.

Athletes under the age of 30 may also be at risk for cardiac arrest during intense competition. Sudden cardiac arrest is also the leading cause of sports-related deaths in competitive athletes, according to a 2020 study published by. British Journal of Sports Medicine.

The parents of high school student Michael Strecker filed a lawsuit against a school district in Maine after he died of heatstroke during a school-sponsored hiking trip in August, New Hampshire Public Radio reported.

Also, in August, Top high school basketball player dies after suffering cardiac arrest during a school practice in Pinson, Alabama. And a high school football player from Scottsdale, Ariz., was ejected in September for the following reasons: cardiac arrest during training.

son of lebron james bronny jamesthe 19-year-old was also rushed to the ICU in July last year. After suffering cardiac arrest during an internship at the University of Southern California. James was cleared by doctors to play in November and is currently a starter for the Trojans. Another USC player, Vince Iwchuk, suffered sudden cardiac arrest during a practice in July 2022, according to . CNN.

A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine also found that black NCAA men’s Division I basketball players had the highest incidence of sudden cardiac arrest and death among players between the ages of 11 and 29.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Keyontae Johnson collapsed on the court during a game in 2020 at the age of 20 while playing for the University of Florida.

Johnson later refused a $5 million insurance payout from the NCAA for having to quit playing college basketball after the incident, the magazine reported. USA Today. Johnson played in just five games at Florida over the next two years before transferring to Kansas State and becoming a third-team All-American.