College football players from California killed in Kansas car crash
Christopher Castillo (left) and Johnny Aviles (right) were killed in a car accident in Kansas on Feb. 27, 2022. Photo credit: Tabor College
HILLSBORO, Kan. - Two Tabor College football players from California have died in a crash near Hillsboro in central Kansas, authorities said.
The single-car crash happened just before 4 a.m. Sunday on a rural road south of Hillsboro, the Kansas Highway Patrol said.
First responders found Johnethon Aviles, of Paso Robles, California; and Christopher Castillo, of Tustin, California, dead at the scene.
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A third Tabor football player, Jonathan Medina, was taken to a Wichita hospital with serious injuries.
"The Tabor College community is devastated by the tragic loss," President David Janzen said. "We extend our prayers to the Castillo, Aviles and Medina families, asking for comfort, peace, and God’s presence during this unimaginable time."
Castillo, a senior, was a linebacker who previously attended Orange Coast College, according to the team roster. Aviles, a junior, was a running back who transferred from Allan Hancock College.
Medina, a freshman fullback, played for Arlington High School in Riverside.
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The Kansas Highway Patrol said Medina was driving when the vehicle went off an embankment at a county road and rolled.
Tabor is a private Christian university in Hillsboro, about 60 miles (96.56 kilometers) north of Wichita.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.