More details emerge in death of former NFL player Cedric Benson, including identity of passenger also killed in crash
Additional details around the death of former NFL player Cedric Benson have emerged, including the identity of the woman also killed in the motorcycle crash.
Benson, who was driving, and Aamna Najam, who was riding as his passenger, were both pronounced dead at the scene of the accident that occurred Saturday in Austin, Texas, at about 10:20 p.m., officials with the Austin Police Department said Monday.
Benson was 36 and Najam was 27.
The ex-running back’s BMW motorcycle collided with a white 2014 Dodge van that was attempting to make a left turn at the intersection of Mount Bonnell Road and FM 2222, police said.
Witnesses told police that Benson was driving at a “high rate of speed.”
Emergency responders evaluated the driver of the van, who was not identified and declined to be transported to a medical facility. The van’s passenger and another person at the scene tried to help Benson and Najam following the accident.
Benson was a standout college football player for the University of Texas, which is located in Austin, from 2001 to 2004. He rushed for at least 1,000 yards and scored at least 12 touchdowns in each of his four seasons with the Longhorns.
The Chicago Bears made Benson the fourth overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, and he played three years with them before joining the Cincinnati Bengals. He rushed for at least 1,000 yards for the Bengals in every season from 2009 to 2011 and played four seasons overall with Cincinnati.
He also played five games for the Green Bay Packers in 2012, the last of his eight NFL seasons.
