Dutch Fork High School mourns death of former football player, officials say
Dutch Fork High School is mourning the death of a recent football player, according to the team’s official Twitter account.
Elijah Chapman, a member of the Class of 2021, died, according to a tweet from the account.
Chapman is the third current or former Dutch Fork player to die in the past six months. Chapman was running back/linebacker on the Silver Foxes 2020 state championship team.
“It is with incredibly great sadness we share the loss of another member of our Dutch Fork football family,” the tweet said. “Please continue to keep Elijah’s family and friends, our team, coaches and community lifted in prayer.”
Chapman, 18, died when the truck he was driving flipped over and crashed into a group of trees, according to the Richland County Coroner’s Office.
The single-vehicle collision happened at about 12:05 a.m., near the intersection of Shady Grove Road and Will Richardson Circle, according to Master Trooper David Jones. That’s in Irmo, about 2 miles from Dutch Fork High School.
A 2014 Ford F250 ran off the right side of Shady Grove Road and hit a ditch, causing the pickup truck to flip over, Jones said. When the Ford overturned, Chapman, the driver, was ejected as the truck crashed into trees, according to Jones.
Chapman, who was not wearing a seat belt, died on the scene, Jones said.
No other injuries were reported.
Several current and Dutch Fork players posted their condolences about Chapman on Twitter when news broke Tuesday night.
“RIP ELIJAH Not only a teammate but a brother when you come from Dutch Fork it’s all family,” former Dutch Fork offensive lineman Shammond Price wrote.
“Another Silver Fox gone too soon,” Dutch Fork assistant coach Nate Hinton tweeted. “So sorry to hear about the passing of Elijah Chapman. A great kid who was so valuable from behind (the scenes).”
This is the latest blow for the Dutch Fork football program, which is still mourning the recent deaths of another student-athlete and an alum.
In August, Jack I. Alkhatib died. The 17-year-old offensive lineman died after collapsing at practice.
Alkhatib was a two-year starter and received an offer to play college football for Presbyterian. He had a 3.8 GPA and was a member of the National Honor Society. The Silver Foxes dedicated their season to Alkhatib. Dutch Fork made it to the state championship before losing to Gaffney.
Prior to the state championship game, the University of South Carolina presented Kelly Alhatib, Jack’s mother, with a No. 60 jersey. Alkhatib was a big Gamecock fan.
In July, former Dutch Fork receiver Gage Zirke was shot and killed in Akron, Ohio.
Zirke, 20, was a big contributor for Dutch Fork’s 2018 state football championship team. He had 79 catches for 1,684 yards and 15 touchdowns during the season and was selected to play in the North-South All-Star game.
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This story was originally published December 29, 2021 at 9:27 AM with the headline "Dutch Fork High School mourns death of former football player, officials say."
