Cal State Fullerton Soccer Player Dies 6 Weeks After Getting Hit by Truck

A sophomore soccer player at Cal State Fullerton is being remembered as a “loving teammate” and “amazing person” after she died six weeks following a serious scooter crash alongside her teammate.

Cal State Fullerton announced Lauren Turner’s death on Monday, saying the soccer standout died on Friday, Nov. 7 due to injuries she sustained in what the school described as a “tragic off-campus traffic collision.”

“Lauren was the funniest, most charismatic, and loving teammate you could ever ask for,” her Cal State Fullerton soccer teammates said in a statement provided by the university. “She was the first to celebrate other people’s wins. She is the true definition of an amazing person. She always carried herself with compassion, kindness, and happiness.”

Turner’s teammates continued: “The impact she made on the Titans women’s soccer program is immeasurable. She will be dearly missed by everyone but forever remembered by her Titan family. We love you Lauren, our No. 5 Forever”

Turner was reportedly riding an e-scooter while traveling to a men’s soccer game on Saturday, Sept. 27, alongside her Cal State Fullerton soccer teammate, Ashlyn Gwynn, when the two players were struck by a box truck around 7 p.m. local time, according to The Orange County Register.

First responders said they found Turner and Gwynn laying in the street with “significant, life-threatening injuries,” according to the newspaper.

In a GoFundMe started to help pay for Turner’s medical expenses and recovery, the sophomore’s family said she was “severely injured” in the crash and had been “battling severe head trauma” in recent weeks, before being moved to hospice care.

Turner’s family announced the death of their “beloved” daughter in an update on the fundraiser on Friday. “Our hearts are broken, and our family is forever changed,” the Turner family wrote.

A native of Tustin, Calif., the sophomore primarily played for Cal State Fullerton as a defensive midfielder, though the school said she played several positions for the team throughout her 30 career NCAA games. “Lauren played a big part in the Titans historic unbeaten start to the 2025 season,” the university said, describing her as an “integral” part of the team both on and off the field.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with her parents, Christopher and Christine, her sisters Nicolette and Victoria, her teammates, coaches, staff members, friends and all who were fortunate to know her,” the school said.

Cal State Fullerton also announced that the women’s soccer team and its entire university athletics department plans to host a candlelight vigil in Turner’s honor this Wednesday, November 12, at 5:30 p.m. local time on the field at Titan Stadium.

Gwynn remains in the hospital with severe injuries, though her family wrote in a GoFundMe update that she has since “been moved to the ‘Step Down’ unit” and has continued to show signs of improvement. The Gwynn family said it has plans to move their daughter to a hospital in Houston where they hope she will continue inpatient rehabilitation therapy for several more weeks before being released and undergoing up to two more years of outpatient rehab.

The crash that caused the players’ injuries remains under investigation, according to reports by The Orange County Register and local KABC.