Jason Solomon Obituary, Death – The Traverse City community is mourning Jason Solomon, a 17-year-old student and football player who died in a crash Saturday morning in Peninsula Township. The Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Solomon was the passenger killed in the collision.
According to authorities, the crash happened on Center Road, south of McKinley Road. The first 911 call came in at 7:49 a.m. The 2016 BMW carrying Solomon and an 18-year-old male driver struck a tree. The impact split the car in two, with the wreckage coming to rest on opposite sides of the roadway; part of the vehicle caught fire.
Solomon was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver sustained injuries described as non-life-threatening and was taken to a local hospital. Center Road was closed for about six hours as emergency crews responded and investigators examined the scene.
Lt. Roy Raska of the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office called the crash “absolutely devastating.” Investigators believe speed and alcohol may have been factors, but the inquiry remains ongoing.
Authorities were awaiting the results of a blood draw and a warrant for the vehicle’s computer, which could help establish its speed before the collision. No final conclusions about the cause had been announced in the information provided.
Solomon’s death was shared publicly by the Traverse City Central High School football team in a Sunday evening Facebook post. The team described him as a senior and a valued member of its program, saying his impact on the football community would not be forgotten. The team also said it planned to play its Friday game in his honor, wearing his number, #54.
An impromptu memorial was also announced for the school parking lot. Organizer Andrea Wallace remembered Solomon as funny, strong, and uplifting, and as an athlete who inspired teammates and friends. The tributes reflect the many connections he had made in his school and community.
Center Road runs through the middle of the 16-mile-long Old Mission Peninsula, which extends into Grand Traverse Bay between its east and west arms. The road is known for its curves and turns, and the posted speed limit is 55 mph.
The crash was reported as the second fatal collision on Center Road in less than two months. In an earlier crash on August 16, 17-year-old Wilder Seeburger died in a two-vehicle collision.
The other driver was charged with operating while intoxicated causing death, according to the information provided. The cases are separate, and the circumstances of one should not be assumed to explain the other.
Solomon’s death has left classmates, teammates, friends, and neighbors grieving a young life cut short. As the investigation continues, the community’s tributes offer a picture of how he will be remembered: not only as a student and athlete, but as someone whose presence mattered to the people around him.
