news-record.com

The 18-year-old passenger in a sport utility vehicle that wrecked early Monday on its way from Ohio to a soccer tournament in Greensboro has died.

Nate Marburger had been in serious condition at Moses Cone Hospital since the driver of the Toyota Land Cruiser he was riding in fell asleep and their vehicle overturned several times on U.S. 29 , according to the Highway Patrol.

The group was about a mile from their destination. The hospital confirmed Wednesday that Marburger died Tuesday.

“He was a great kid, and he will be missed,” said Lee Shrader, who lives in the same Worthington, Ohio, neighborhood as the young man’s family and had been following the story online. Shrader’s son had just graduated, along with Marburger, from Thomas Worthington High School.

The driver, 18-year-old Jason Chakroff, also had just graduated with Marburger. The boys and a third unidentified female minor had left Worthington about 2 a.m Monday to see Chakroff’s younger brother play in the soccer tournament.

Chakroff and the female passenger, who were wearing seatbelts, received minor injuries and were treated at Moses Cone and released the same day.

Although police initially said Marburger had not been wearing a seatbelt, the continuing investigation has found that Marburger had been wearing the lap-belt portion but was not properly strapped in with the shoulder harness, which was behind his back.

“It’s totally defeating the purpose,” Trooper C.D. Knox said. “It’s keeping you in, but it allows for too much movement.”

The young man’s parents flew to Greensboro on Monday and later had their son removed from life support.

“We are all heartbroken in Worthington,” said Karyn Hendricks, a friend of the family.