American teenager Caden Fine is among 3 young hockey players who died in a Canadian highway accident

Toronto – Three youth hockey players, including a teenager from Alabama, died in a car crash Monday while on their way to practice with their Southern Alberta Mustangs teammates in Canada, according to police and the team.

A rock being towed by a pickup truck hit a small passenger car at the intersection, according to Corporal Gina Slaney of the Alberta Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

“No words can adequately express the depth of our grief,” the Southern Alberta Mustangs team said in a statement, “These young men were more than hockey players – they were teammates, sons, brothers, friends, and beloved members of our Mustangs family and the communities we call home.”

Caden Fine, 17, an American from Birmingham, Alabama, and two of his Canadian colleagues, Cameron Casorso and J.

“Unfortunately, all three passengers in the passenger car, two 18-year-old males who live in Kamloops, BC, and a 17-year-old resident of Alabama, USA, were pronounced dead at the scene,” Slaney told CBS News in an emailed statement.

The truck driver, a 40-year-old man, received minor injuries and was treated at the scene. Police said the investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing.

Fine’s passion for hockey began in 2020, according to a statement released by the Birmingham Jr. Hockey team. Bulls in Alabama, where he played between 2021-2023. The Bulls said Fine has joined the Southern Alberta Mustangs for the 2025-2026 season.

“This is a sad day for our entire hockey community. Our condolences go out to Caden’s family, friends, and teammates at this unimaginable time,” the Bulls said in a statement. “Once a Little Bull, always a Little Bull.”

A GoFundMe page set up to raise money for Fine’s family had collected more than $10,000 in donations as of Tuesday afternoon.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney offered his condolences to the families, saying “Canadians are keeping the entire Southern Alberta Mustangs community in our thoughts as they deal with this unimaginable tragedy.”

In December, several hockey players ages 15 to 19 were injured when a bus carrying a youth team collided in Alberta. Two young children were transported to local hospitals, according to police.

In 2018, 15 people were killed and more than a dozen others were injured when a pickup truck hit a bus carrying junior hockey players on their way to a playoff game in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The dead included the son of a former NHL player, a team captain, an assistant coach and a radio host.