In a Facebook post Wednesday morning, Reggie Wanzer described Freedom-Woodbridge High School’s Vernon Lee as the “heart of that school, the engine that kept everything moving.”
Wanzer, a Freedom-Woodbridge graduate, and many others are mourning the loss of Lee, who was killed Tuesday afternoon in a crash on the shoulder of the Interstate 95 Express Lanes near Triangle. Lee, 57, worked as a security assistant at Freedom and was a former head girls basketball coach there.
According to a release from the Virginia State Police, the crash happened in the southbound lanes at 2:39 p.m. at the 152-mile marker in Prince William County.
A 2020 Lexus SUV was stopped on the right shoulder when it was struck by a 2022 Ford work truck that went off of the right side of the interstate, the release said.
After being struck, the Lexus hit the guardrail and then went back into the travel lanes, where it stopped, facing traffic.
Lee, the driver of the SUV, died at the scene. He was wearing a seatbelt. A passenger in the SUV, Shannon Lee, 25, suffered serious injuries and was taken to an area hospital. The release said she was also wearing a seatbelt.
The driver of the Ford F-250, Jeremy S. Kubela, 43, of Fredericksburg, was not injured. He has been charged with reckless driving.
The crash remains under investigation, the release said.
“Mr. Lee wasn’t just a teacher, a mentor, or a coach, he was a light in so many lives,” Wanzer wrote. “No matter what kind of day you were having, he had a way of lifting your spirit. He made you feel seen, valued, and capable of more than you believed possible. He didn’t just impact students, he shaped generations, leaving behind a legacy that will live on in every life he touched.”
Lee’s son, Vershon, was an all-state lineman for the school’s football team who went on to star at the University of South Carolina. Vershon appeared in 51 games during his Gamecocks career, including 40 starts – 18 at center, 16 at left guard and six at right tackle. He started all 13 games at center in 2024, leading the offensive linemen with 959 snaps.
Vershon most recently competed in the Trillion Tropical Bowl on Jan. 19. He is a prospect for the upcoming NFL Draft.
Lee stepped down from his position as Freedom’s head girls basketball coach so he could follow his son play in college.
In addition to coaching at Freedom, Vernon Lee also served as an assistant at John R. Lewis High School in Springfield under current Freedom head boys basketball coach Mike Harris.
“Last night the basketball world lost one of the best motivational coach, teacher and mentor. He was an assistant coach in northern Virginia and won a state championship. If you knew him, you know you were talking to a great person,” wrote Everett Watkins on Facebook.