College junior and truck driver killed in crash

FORT LAUDERDALE — A college junior and a truck driver were killed in a crash Wednesday between a truck and a motorcycle.

Carone L. Richardson Jr., of Fort Lauderdale, was the life of the party at age 22, his mother said.

“He was a good kid,” said Tangaynika Richardson. “His daddy drives trucks, he was trying to get his [commercial driver’s

license] so he could be a driver too. He was working two jobs — he worked at Carmax and Racetrac. He was on his way home from work ... he was very independent.”

Richardson and Germain Jean-Baptiste, 60, were killed in the crash about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday at 1700 NW Ninth Ave. near Northwest 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale. Both were pronounced dead at Broward

Health Medical Center.

Jean-Baptiste’s family could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Officials did not specify who was driving which vehicle, but Richardson’s mother said he was driving the motorcycle.

Richardson played football at Fort Lauderdale High School and basketball at Webber International University in Central Florida.

The junior was majoring in sports business management, according to his online player profile.

Richardson listed his role model as Portland Trail Blazers point guard Dennis Smith Jr. He said his pregame rituals as listening to music, stretching and “think[ing] about my life and what I am trying to get out of this.”

Richardson is survived by his parents, four brothers and a sister.

“He was spontaneous, he was the life of the party, very hard working and he just brought laughter and joy to everyone that knew him. He was very popular,” his mother said. “He was a jokester. A good kid.”