Freshman student athlete, 18, killed in Lee County crash

A college student and athlete from North Carolina died Saturday in a crash in Lee County,

A spokesperson from Ferrum College said Will Patterson, 18, was a first-year student at the private college in Virginia and a member of the school's football team. Patterson, from Sanford, N.C., is listed as a quarterback on the team's website.

According to an online obituary, Patterson went by "Willie P" and graduated with honors from Lee County Senior High School. He was on academic scholarship at Ferrum College, according to the post.

Patterson also loved golf, baseball and basketball, according to the obituary, and he was a big fan of the UNC Tarheels.

His obituary reads: "Willie P considered all the many coaches, teammates, and friends that supported and mentored him over the years as family and loved them all dearly. He was a leader on and off the field where he took great responsibility in leading his teams. Willie P had a smile that could light up a room and wore his heart on his sleeve. He never left without saying I love you, especially to his mother who he cherished with all of his heart."

A “Willie P Football Scholarship” was created in honor of Patterson. In lieu of flowers, people can mail donations to the Lee County High School Booster Club at PO Box 2421, Sanford, NC, 27331 with “Willie P Scholarship” in the memo line.

A funeral service will be held Tuesday at Crossroads Ministries in Broadway, N.C., with a burial to follow at Lee Memory Gardens.