GROTON, CONNECTICUT: Ex-NBA player Tyson Wheeler's daughter, Tiara Wheeler, died in a tragic dirt bike crash on Monday, August 28, in Connecticut.
In the obituary for the 24-year-old woman, her family wrote, "Tiara’s energy was contagious. She was passionate about racial and social justice issues, and always put her family first."
Wheeler, who studied abroad in Florence, was set to join Pfizer. She was working as a treatment coordinator position at the Orthodontic Associates of Southeastern Connecticut.
What led to Tiara Wheeler's death?
The fatal accident took place in Groton, Connecticut, on Monday night at around 9.30 pm when Wheeler who was a passenger on a dirt bike which ran a red light and collided with an Audi making a left turn on a green arrow.
The collision resulted in her being thrown onto the car. Wheeler was pronounced dead at the scene, reported the New York Post.
According to a hospital spokesperson, the driver of the bike involved in the crash was transported to Yale New Haven Hospital. He was listed in critical condition at the time.
Wheeler and the bike driver were among a group of ATVs and dirt bikes and, as per police statement, some of the vehicles had their lights off and drove recklessly. They did not provide any aid to the crash victims.
Speaking to CT Insider, Groton Police Chief Louis J Fusaro said, "What is most troubling is that someone who may have been traveling with them stopped for this crash, and rather than rendering aid to the critically injured parties, removed the dirt bike from the road."
Tyson Wheeler pays emotional tribute to daughter Tiara
Tyson Wheeler, who is now an assistant men’s basketball coach at Brown University, told CT Insider that Tiara was a "real go-getter."
The 47-year-old former basketballer, who played for the Denver Nuggets in 1999, further talked about his daughter's achievements which included her being awarded as the most promising public health graduate and serving as the treasurer for the school’s Black Student Union.
"She was so bright. So articulate. So wonderful. So smart," Tyson said of his only daughter.
The Wheeler family remembered Tiara as someone who was "passionate about life" and who helped marginalized communities through projects focussing on public health.
"She was a beautiful person, one who loved shopping, Hermes bracelets, and looking her best, but she also cared about people," Wheeler's family wrote.
The 24-year-old, who graduated from Fairfield University in 2021, is survived by her father and mother, Farrah, and two brothers, Tevin, 13, and Tyson, 18.
