BALTIMORE – Morgan State University is mourning the death of a student following a Thursday night crash in Prince Georges County.
Maryland State Police say that around 10:30 p.m. that night, officers arrived at the scene of a fatal head-on collision that claimed the life of 20-year-old Adedire “Dire” Ososanya.
State troopers at the scene confirmed that both vehicles were driving in opposite directions in the same area before the driver of a Cadillac DeVille lost control and collided with Ososanya’s Nissan Altima.
Ososanya attended Morgan State, the university confirmed.
On Friday, as many students were preparing to listen to commencement speeches and receive their diplomas, others were finding out about the loss of a fellow student.
The university issued the following statement in the wake of the tragedy:
On a day when so many of our students are celebrating their graduation and the start of a new chapter in their lives, we at Morgan State University find ourselves in a state of shock, saddened by the loss of this member of our family. Adedire was well liked by his fellow students, who elected him as Mr. Junior (class). He was a marketing major here at Morgan and a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. He had, in fact, completed nearly all of his coursework toward graduation and for his life to be cut short when he was so close to achieving that which he had worked so hard for is heart-wrenching. The entire Morgan family sends its condolences to Adedire’s family. His loss will be felt in every corner of this campus.
Ososanya, who was known to many as Dire, was a student leader and highly involved with different campus organizations.
Daniel Olumese met Dire in high school and told ABC2 they have been best friends ever since. Daniel, also a student at MSU, was one of a crowd of about 200 gathered in the academic quad to remember Dire Friday night.
“I’m not going to lie. I don’t really like it. I don’t like it a bit, because this isn’t fair. I see pictures of him with wings on his back and I’m like this isn’t how it’s supposed to be. We had plans. All of us had plans. We were supposed to go places. We were supposed to do things,” Olumese said.
Students took to social media Friday to recount their memories of the young man.
http://twitter.com/ThomasJ_/status/677892756476424192/photo/1
Ososanya was serving in Morgan State’s Student Government royal court as Mr. Junior at the time of his death.
In 2014-2015 academic school year, Dire was voted by his peers and served as Mr. Sophomore and wanted to run for other positions in the Student Government Association.
About four weeks before his death, Ososanya had joined the Pi chapter of Omega Psi Phi.
“Dire was a very special individual. He was great. He is great and he only had potential to be greater. … I think everybody, not just my line brothers, but anybody can say that about him. Everybody is just filled with love and laughter right now. It’s just a tough time because you just lost somebody that you just crossed into the fraternity and it’s just like he’s just gone. It’s only been a month,” Andrew Egiefameh, a senior, said.
Former Miss Morgan State University, Jasmine Garret said he aspired to run as Mr. Morgan State University in the Spring, a goal that he had set his focus on for some time.
Garrett described Dire as, “A loving person, always fun to be around, a great photographer and he was loved by many. His Morgan family will miss him dearly.”
The university is offering counseling services to students following the deadly crash.
Friends of Ososanya have created a fundraiser on Go Fund Me which had raised more than $8,500 as of Friday evening.