A teenage basketball star who joined the Air Force was killed after a jet ski fatally struck her. This horrific accident happened over Memorial Day weekend in Texas, according to PEOPLE.
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Jet Ski Hit And Run Kills 18-Year-Old Basketball Star And Air Force Member
18-year-old Ava Moore was kayaking on Grapevine Lake on Sunday, May 25, when two women riding a personal watercraft ran into her. Texas Game Wardens revealed this tragic news in a Facebook news release.
A female passenger stayed to speak with first responders. Meanwhile, the jet ski operator allegedly fled the crime scene with an adult male. While fleeing the area in a car, the operator struck another vehicle.
“Grapevine Police Department is investigating the related automotive hit and run incident while Texas Game Wardens lead the water fatality investigation,” it wrote. Investigators are now looking for those responsible for the crash.
They also shared an image of the suspect and are asking anyone who has seen her to contact them. “Our thoughts are with Ava’s family and friends during this difficult time,” they said.
According to WFAA, the PWC operator and the man reportedly abandoned the car near the Cobblestone apartments at Ruth Wall and Turner Road. Witnesses of the collision helped pull Ava from the water and rushed her to a local hospital. Ava later died at the hospital.
One of the witnesses who helped Ava, Lisa Scrabeck, spoke with CBS News about the tragedy. “She didn’t suffer in agony,” said Lisa. “It’s very tragic, and I extend my deepest condolences to the family. I can’t imagine being the parents of this young girl.”
Lisa mentioned that from the moment she saw Ava, she knew “she didn’t suffer.” The witness not only confirmed Ava had a life jacket, but she also tried checking for a pulse.
Ava had graduated from Fort Worth Timber Creek High School in 2024. She is remembered as an exceptional basketball player, and she had recently joined the US Air Force.
Sports Illustrated reported that Ava helped the Lady Falcons to a 71-51 mark across her high school career. This included “a 24-10 record in 2022 during her sophomore year and a 17-14 mark during her senior season.”
“She had just returned from Colorado Springs after finishing her 1st year at the Air Force Preparatory School,” her family wrote in their GoFundMe. They are requesting money from the community to help with funeral costs.