A passenger who was killed in a single-vehicle Peninsula Township crash on Center Road Saturday morning has been identified as Traverse City Central High School senior Jason Soloman (pictured). The driver of the vehicle is also a TC Central student, 18-year-old Jackson Lakies.

According to the Grand Traverse Sheriff's Office, the driver - confirmed by multiple sources as Lakies - was heading south on Center Road near McKinley Road just before 8am Saturday at a high rate of speed and left the roadway, hitting a tree. He was taken to Munson Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. Soloman, 17, was pronounced dead at the scene. Speed and alcohol are believed to be factors in the crash, which closed Center Road for approximately six hours.

TC Central High School Principal Ben Berger addressed the loss in an email to families Sunday. "It is with profound sadness that I share the news of the passing of one of our students, Jason Soloman," Berger wrote. "Our entire Trojan community is grieving this tragic loss, and our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to Jason's family, friends, and loved ones during this painful time." Friends and family members gathered at the high school Sunday evening to pay tribute to Soloman.

Mental health professionals and the TCAPS Crisis Response Team will be available at Central over the coming days to support students and staff. Soloman was a football player at Central - wearing #54 - with the team posting that they will play in his honor this coming Friday at 7pm at an away game at Bay City Western. "Jason's legacy of leadership, dedication, and spirit will live on in our hearts and on the field," the team posted. "We mourn this tragic loss and keep his family, friends, and teammates in our thoughts."

Soloman's employer, FireFly, also posted a tribute to him Monday. "Last night was a really tough night. We were missing a key member of our team," the restaurant posted. "Jason, you were hardworking and reliable, you came in with a smile and you made every shift more fun. We miss you. To Jason's family and friends, we grieve alongside you for this life lost too soon."

A GoFundMe campaign has been started by friends of the family to support the Solomans. As of Monday morning, the campaign had raised over $12,000 toward its $25,000 goal. Andrea Wallace, a family friend whose son was friends with Soloman, has been helping promote the campaign. She says Soloman was an "incredibly funny, strong, beautiful soul, and an amazing TC Central Trojans football player who lifted and inspired the spirits of his teammates, friends, and the lives of so many others." She adds: "This has been a horrible, tremendous, and completely needless loss."

The crash remains an open investigation. According to court records, Lakies has prior citations for being a minor in possession of alcohol (MIP) in June 2025 and speeding in May of this year. Grand Traverse County Prosecuting Attorney Noelle Moeggenberg says her office has not yet received a Sheriff's Office report, since "detectives are still investigating at this time." Moeggenberg doesn't expect a report for several days, but says that once she receives it, "it will be reviewed for charges."

This is the second tragic accident on Old Mission Peninsula that caused the death of a TC Central student in recent months. In August, 17-year-old Wilder Seeburger was killed by a drunk driver on Center Road. Seeburger was preparing to enter his junior year. The driver in that case was charged with operating while intoxicated causing death.