The pair were involved in a tragic accident last Friday night. The Penn State wide receiver sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized, while his partner sadly passed away.

On May 23, 2025, Pennsylvania State Police responded to a crash that occurred on Painter Lick Lane around 8:13 p.m.

According to an official report, a 2024 Yamaha ATV “was traveling northbound on Painter Lick Lane when it collided with a deer that had jumped out into the roadway.”

Two individuals were inside the vehicle and neither of them were wearing safety equipment, the report said. They were identified as Julian Fleming (the driver) and his girlfriend, Alyssa Boyd.

Guthrie EMS, the Troy Fire Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Specialists were present at the scene to assist.

They found a recently deceased deer at the crash site, which was consistent with the damage observed on the ATV. Fleming was then transported to Guthrie Troy Community Hospital for treatment, while Boyd was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

As the news broke, messages of support and condolences began pouring in. “Oh my goodness. Prayer to her family to find love and support over their loss. How heartbreaking,” one person wrote.

“What?!?!?” another expressed their shock. “Oh wow..that’s crazy.. [sic],” someone else said. “This is such a tragedy!” another person exclaimed.

The Penn State Bank Button Society also shared a lengthy and heartfelt tribute for the football player and his girlfriend. He had initially gone to Ohio State University before transferring to PSU in his final year of eligibility.

“Julian did find true happiness at PSU. He converted his U of Alabama-grad girlfriend Alyssa Boyd into a Nittany Lion fan. They made a stunning couple,” the tribute read.

It continued, revealing that Boyd was present at every one of Fleming’s games. She was also there at the 2025 NFL Draft where he, unfortunately, didn’t make the cut.

He was expected to sign a deal as a free agent with the Green Bay Packers, but the offer was said to have been rendered void when he didn’t pass his physical, due to hip and back injuries.

He and Boyd didn’t share much about their relationship on their social media. Fleming has primarily used his platforms to share updates about his football career.

Boyd, on the other hand, did have at least one post dedicated to her boyfriend from November 2024. The 23-year-old shared a photo of herself and Fleming posing at the football stands after a game. “Proud of you 3🤍,” she captioned the post.

A friend of Boyd’s by the name of Zach Burkland also shared a tribute in honor of her passing. “It truly doesn’t feel real. Feels like yesterday we were at my birthday parties throwing apples at trash cans,” Burkland began.

“Just having a blast at every party and never wanting to stop playing to get food. All of the fun times growing up together will never be forgotten,” he continued.

“High school chemistry class and all of the projects done together even tho I didn’t help much at least I made everyone laugh [sic],” he recalled. Burkland concluded by sending his condolences to Boyd’s family and friends.

Boyd’s passing is a reminder of the unpredictable and heartbreaking turns life can take. Just a week before the crash that took her life, a couple on the brink of a new life together met a tragic end — just hours apart.

Alexus Lee and John “JR” Collins were planning a wedding, raising their young son, and dreaming of the future. But in a cruel twist of fate, both lost their lives in two separate incidents.

Now, their four-year-old boy is left behind, surrounded by grieving family members trying to make sense of the heartbreak. Following the tragic incident, JR’s father, Arthur Collins, stood strong as he reflected on the loss. “I love them and I’m gonna miss both of them and I’m gonna find the strength to go ahead,” he said.

In the face of deep sorrow, both families gathered to remember the couple. They held each other close, bound by pain but united in love. JR’s parents, Arthur and Sandra Collins, shared memories of the young couple’s whirlwind romance— a love story now painfully incomplete.

“He loved Alexus as well as everybody else who knew her,” said Sandra. Dominique Lee, Alexus’s sister, added, “It was a different feeling.” Speaking through tears, she continued, “It’s like I know a part of me gone.”

Alexus and JR were planning to wed in February 2026, but both died in a tragic turn of events that unfolded overnight last Friday, May 16. According to state police, Alexus was driving along Plank Road near Lemon Road in Zachary when she lost control of her SUV.

The vehicle veered off the road, crashed into a culvert, and overturned. Emergency responders were dispatched, and investigators contacted JR to inform him of the crash. Devastated, JR set out for the scene. But tragedy struck again.

While driving along Plank Road just outside the town of Clinton, he reportedly lost control of his car, which struck a tree. He was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene. Troopers confirmed that neither Alexus nor JR had been wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crashes.

Now, their son Gabriel, only four years old, is left in the care of grieving family members. JR’s mother said the young boy is aware of what happened but struggles to grasp the permanence of loss. “He understands that they’re asleep,” she shared.

Sandra also noted that even though the couple left their son behind, they have a great support system. “The two families will blend, and we will do whatever it takes to give him a good life,” she said.

Just last year, in June 2024, JR proposed to Alexus in a moment that brought her overwhelming joy. He chose her 25th birthday to ask the question, and Alexus wasted no time sharing the news.

She took to Facebook, proudly displaying her engagement ring and expressing her love for JR. In her post, she wrote with excitement and affection, calling him her partner through all of life’s ups and downs, and joyfully referring to herself as “Mrs. Collins to be.”

Friends and family celebrated with them. It was a time filled with promise — a future they were building one milestone at a time. The couple had just purchased a new home and had plans, dreams, and unwavering love.

Alexus was more than a partner and a mother. She was a recent graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and had begun shaping young minds as a teacher at East Feliciana STEAM Academy. The school community mourned her loss deeply.

In a public message, they remembered her not only as a dedicated educator but also as an alumna of East Feliciana High School. The announcement described her passing with great sadness and asked the community to lift her family in prayer during this time of grief.

JR, a truck driver by profession, had a passion for sports cars. He was known for his love of the road, but also for the stability he was building at home with Alexus and Gabriel.

Despite the tragic end to their lives, those who knew them say their love story continues. It lives on in Gabriel — their young son — who now carries the spirit of their devotion as he grows under the care of both families.