What began as an ordinary September evening for two Cal State Fullerton soccer players spiraled into a tragedy that would shake an entire campus and ultimately take the life of one of its most promising young athletes.
Lauren Turner, a 19-year-old sophomore and rising defensive midfielder on the Titans women’s soccer team, died on November 7 after spending nearly six weeks in a coma. The injuries that claimed her life came from a violent crash on the night of September 27, when she and teammate Ashlyn Gwynn were struck by a box truck while riding electric scooters near campus. According to Fullerton police, the crash happened on Associated Road just after 7 p.m., not far from where students routinely walk, bike, and scooter between athletic facilities and dorms.
The impact was catastrophic. Both scooters were left twisted across the asphalt. Emergency crews stabilized both young women and rushed them to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Turner never regained consciousness.
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