Tiara Wheeler, daughter of ex-NBA star Tyson Wheeler, dies at the age of 24 after being left for dead in tragic dirt bike crash

Tiara Wheeler, the daughter of former NBA player Tyson Wheeler, died at the age of 24 in a dirt bike accident.

Tiara was a passenger on a dirt bike that ran a red light before colliding with an Audi Monday night in Gorton, Connecticut.

The 24-year-old was thrown from the bicycle in the collision and died at the scene.

Tiara’s energy was contagious. She was passionate about race and social justice issues and always put her family first,” the family wrote in their obituary.

Tiara and the driver were among a group of dirt bikes and ATVs driving recklessly, some with their lights off, police said.

None of the other members of the group provided assistance to the victims, according to police.

They have also been charged with theft and tampering with evidence before leaving the victims for dead.

“Most disturbing is that someone who may have been traveling with them pulled over for this accident, and instead of providing assistance to the seriously injured parties, took the dirt bike off the road,” Groton Police Chief Louis J. Fusaro said. , to CT Insider. .

The bike’s driver was flown to Yale New Haven Hospital, where he remained in critical conditions, a hospital spokesperson said.

Her father, Tyson Wheeler, was a second round pick in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors after being a standout at the University of Rhode Island for four years.

Wheeler, who also played for the Denver Nuggets during his career, has been an assistant coach at Brown University since 2022.

In addition to her former NBA star father, Tiara is also survived by her mother, Farrah, and two younger brothers, Tyson, 18, and Tevin, 13.

“She’s a real go-getter,” Wheeler said of his daughter. “She’s done things.” ‘She was so bright. So clear,” he said. ‘So wonderful. So smart.’

Tiara graduated from Fairfield University, where she was treasurer of the Black Student Union, as a public health major.

She received an award for being the most promising public health graduate when she graduated in 2021, her father said, and planned to join Pfizer’s team this winter.

Tiara has worked in an orthodontist’s office since 2017, working her way up from office assistant to treatment coordinator.

While in college, Tiara had been studying abroad in Florence, Italy, until the Covid-19 pandemic hit and she wanted to return to live there, her father told CT Insider.

Kimberly Doughty, one of her professors at Fairfield University, described Tiara as a mature and motivated student.

“She just had a level of confidence and maturity that I think was really unique for a student, and she was very motivated, really interested in learning things and making sure she understood what we were talking about in class, Doughty told CT Insider.

More to follow.