A 14‑year‑old football player from Fairfield was struck by a vehicle while navigating a scooter near Alumni Stadium on a Friday night. The driver’s car had its headlights off, and the impact threw the teen from his ride, leaving him with a neck brace and severe pain.
Anthony Way, who has been immersed in organized football since he was four, had been anticipating his freshman season with excitement. The collision not only inflicted physical trauma but also jeopardized his ability to step onto the field when the new season begins.
A season in jeopardy
A passerby intervened, halting the motorist who claimed the contact was unintentional before the driver fled the scene. The family now hopes that dash‑cam recordings, surveillance footage, and eyewitness accounts will help bring the driver to account.
Gloria Way, Anthony’s mother, has voiced the family’s dread of missing even a brief portion of the season, emphasizing how the injury has upended plans that had been in motion for years. Fairfield police have been contacted for assistance, though a response has yet to be received.
The incident underscores the fragile intersection of youth sports, road safety, and community support, as teammates, friends, and local residents rally around a young athlete whose future on the gridiron hangs in the balance.