Former East High School star Voi Tunuufi dies in car accident

Former East High School football star Voi Tunuufi, who went on to play at the University of Washington, died in a car accident early Monday at the age of 23, his family announced.Details of the accident were not made available, but on a GoFundMe page shared by the family, Tunuufi's sister said the accident occurred at 1:30 a.m. Monday."Our brother ... was always willing to go without so that someone else was on top. He never would shy away from any opportunity to serve those of his village," Nita Tunuufi, Voi's sister, wrote.Tunuufi was a 3-star recruit out of East High School following the 2020 season, in which he led the Leopards to the state 6A playoff semifinals. He was named first-team All-Utah as a defensive lineman by multiple outlets, and was rated as the No. 5 recruit in Utah by Rivals.com.At Washington, Tunuufi was a stalwart for the Huskies, playing in 52 games throughout his career and starting 11 during his senior season.In a social media post, the University of Washington football program wrote, “Our hearts are with the Tunuufi family, his loved ones and every brother who wore the W beside him. Forever in The Pack."According to the Seattle Times, after graduating from Washington, Tunuufi was not selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. While he was hoping to get a chance in either the UFL or the Canadian Football League, Tunuufi was set to become the defensive line coach at Skyline High School."Voi was known as the goofy guy, the one with the contagious laughter," his sister said. "He was always going above and beyond, always giving and making sure people were included."