The tight-knit, East County athletic community is reeling after a 17-year-old Granite Hills High School sports star was killed Monday night in a crash in Alpine.

William Burton was heading home from a football banquet at Viejas Casino & Resort when the Jeep Wrangler he was in veered into a car on South Grade Road about 8:30 p.m.

The senior was in a rear compartment behind the two seats in the Jeep. He was not in a seat or wearing a seat belt, said California Highway Patrol Officer Travis Garrow.

William played football and baseball and was being courted by a number of colleges — a fact that wouldn’t surprise anyone who knew his family. William comes from a long line of standout athletes. His dad and uncle played football for San Diego State University and his older brother plays for the UCLA Bruins.


“Whether you were a freshman or a senior, you knew William Burton,” said James Davis, the teen’s baseball coach. “He was a fun-loving kid and well-liked. He was very competitive and would back his team up at any cost.

“(His death) is a devastating blow to our community and our school.”

William Burton (Chadd Cady / San Diego Union-Tribune )

On Tuesday morning, signs reading “Slow down, buckle up” and “Save a life” were posted along South Grade Road at Via Viejas Oeste near where the crash happened.


California Highway Patrol Officer Travis Garrow said the Jeep driver, an 18-year-old Crest resident, was headed south when he drifted toward the right shoulder of the road.

He over-corrected and veered into the eastbound lane — directly into the path of a white Lexus sedan, Garrow said.

William was ejected onto the road and died before he could be taken to a hospital, Garrow said. The two other teens in the Jeep — also Granite Hills High School students — suffered minor to moderate injuries and were taken to a hospital.

Sami Nedjar was the driver of the Lexus. The 51-year-old is a former coach of the Granite Hills championship soccer team. He and his 13-year-old daughter were hurt but were not taken to a hospital for treatment.


The CHP doesn’t suspect alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash.

William was a force on both the baseball field and the football field, said Davis, his coach.

The 6-foot-5, 240 pound teen played offense and defense as a three-year letterman on the the school’s varsity football team. He turned heads at three football camps over the summer including the Blue-Grey Combine. After participating, he was invited to play in the Blue-Gray All-American Bowl at AT&T Stadium — home of the Dallas Cowboys — on Dec. 18.

He was also recently named to the All-CIF football team.


William was a left-handed pitcher on the school’s varsity baseball team, and threw a fastball that reached 90 mph.

“Everybody on our team loved him,” Davis said. “He was a very personable kid, a free spirit. He was very left-handed in personality.”

William loved both sports, Davis said, and had received invitations to play both at the college level. He hadn’t yet decided on which, and considered playing both at one point.

“I have no doubt he could have if it’s what he wanted to do,” Davis said.


The teen also excelled in the classroom, with a GPA around 3.5, Davis said.

“If there is any good in this, it’s that the community of East County has all been wishing us well and feeling our pain,” the coach said. “And I think it’s a pain shared by all.”

Catherine Martin, spokeswoman for the Grossmont Union High School District, said grief counselors would be made available to students and staff members.

“(William’s) positive spirit touched the lives of many on campus and in the community,” Martin said in a statement. “He will be greatly missed.”


The teen’s family is well-known in East County. His father, Bradford, had been an assistant coach at Grossmont College, and his uncle, Mitch, coached at Granite Hills and now coaches at Steele Canyon High School.

His mother is a principal in Descanso.


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This article was originally published on Dec. 11 at 11 p.m.