A missing college student from Prince William County was found dead in a pond in Tysons, Virginia, police confirmed Wednesday night.
Kyle Benjamin Coleman, 19, of Gainesville, had been reported missing Saturday after his vehicle was found crashed in a wooded area near Tysons Boulevard late Friday night, according to Fairfax County police.
When officers arrived, they found Coleman’s blue Toyota still running along with his keys, wallet and phone inside.
An investigation into the crash revealed Coleman had been driving on Galleria Drive when he crossed into the eastbound lanes, left the roadway onto the grass and struck a tree. Officials and witnesses said that he then got out of his vehicle and fled.
No one else was injured in the crash.
His body was found by the Fairfax County police dive team in a “retention pond surrounded by thick brush” near Westpark Drive and Galleria Drive on Tuesday.
‘Generous and likeable kid’
Alene Devereaux, chapter president of Jack and Jill of America Inc., had known Coleman and his family since he was in elementary school.
“He was a very vibrant, popular, friendly, kind, generous and likeable kid. … He was a leader. He was a leader both in school and in the community. He was sort of that total package. He was always a joy and a positive spirit to be around, and he remained that person till the very, very end,” Devereaux said.
Devereaux said Coleman will always be remembered as being smart and capable and helpful and trying to contribute.
“He was loved very deeply by many, many people,” Devereaux said. “And he is somewhere in heaven smiling right now.”
Fairfax police, in coordination with the Prince William County Police Department, began following leads after Friday and scouring the surrounding area where the crash occurred.
Katie Watts, a public information officer with Fairfax County police, told WTOP that both departments had been working “really closely” over the last three days.
“We are just happy, in a sense, that we were able to, hopefully, have some closure in this case,” Watts said, before underscoring the department is still “continuing to investigate” the case.
Coleman was a student at Morehouse College, a historically Black college in Atlanta, Georgia.
In a statement on Wednesday, Morehouse College said Coleman was known for his “warmth, humility and peaceful spirit.”
“Our entire Morehouse family grieves this unimaginable loss,” the college wrote.
Detectives are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to call 703-256-8035.
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein also contributed to this story.
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