SDSU Basketball Player's Brother Mourned After Fatal Car Crash

SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego State basketball star Aguek Arop lost his brother in a car accident.

The Aztecs forward said on GoFundMe that his 20-year-old brother, Deng Arop, died over the weekend in a car crash.

The crash happened shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday about a mile south of Mound City, Missouri, according to a report on the Missouri State Highway Patrol website. Deng Arop of Omaha, Nebraska, was a passenger in a 2017 Nissan Altima that was struck by a 2015 International semi-truck. He died at the scene.

The driver of the car and two other passengers were injured.

"Deng was so loved by all who knew him," Aguek Arop said. "Words do not do justice to his impact on the lives of those who knew him. He inspired us as we watched him fight cancer and win, he brought joy to our hearts with his smile and genuine goofiness, and he touched our hearts with how he loved and cared for all his friends and family."

Aguek Arop set up the GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses.

"Deng's sudden death has left us unprepared for the funeral costs," Aguek Arop said. "We thank you all in advance for your support. Keep us and all who loved him in your prayers."

Aguek Arop and the Aztecs beat the Creighton Bluejays in the Elite Eight and the Florida Atlantic Owls in the Final Four before falling to the UConn Huskies in April in the NCAA men's basketball championship game.

The Aztecs team and fans supported the Arop family online and shared the link to the fundraiser, which raised nearly $55,000 by Wednesday morning.

"Our hearts are heavy for the Arop family and anyone who knew Deng. #AztecForLife," the official Twitter of the San Diego State men's basketball team tweeted.