MIAMI – A former University of Miami football player is clinging to life after he was injured in a crash Tuesday morning in the westbound lanes of the MacArthur Causeway.
Miami Beach police said the driver of the gray Lexus that crashed into the back of the truck was former Miami football player JoJo Nicolas.
"At this point, we have not determined who is at fault or if alcohol was present because of the nature of (the victim's) injuries," Miami Beach police Detective Vivian Hernandez said.
Nicolas was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.
"It does not look very promising," Hernandez said. "He is going through testing."
Friends and former teammates of Nicolas' spent the morning sharing their prayers on social media. One friend nicknamed "tuckthehuman" shared a photo of him and Nicolas just hours before the crash occurred.
Nicolas, who grew up in Homestead, played for Miami from 2007 to 2011 before being drafted by the New York Giants.
According to his Twitter account, the former Hurricanes safety had been celebrating his birthday at Mansion nightclub.
Hurricanes football coach Al Golden was seen in the waiting room of the hospital.
"During this extremely difficult time for JoJo and his family, our Miami family extends our prayers to them and our hope for his recovery," Golden said in a statement released by the school. "He is a big part of our U family and all of us are pulling for him."
With the westbound lanes on the MacArthur Causeway shut down for much of the morning, all tolls were waived on the nearby Venetian Causeway to alleviate traffic. All lanes on the MacArthur reopened around 11 a.m.