Report reveals details of Colorado football QB Dominiq Ponder’s fatal car crash
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Colorado Buffaloes football is mourning the loss of quarterback Dominiq Ponder, who died Sunday afternoon in a single-vehicle crash in Boulder County. He was 23.
The accident occurred at approximately 3 a.m. on Baseline Road near Newland Court, according to the Colorado State Patrol. Investigators said Ponder was driving a 2023 Tesla Model 3 westbound when he lost control while navigating a right-hand curve. The vehicle crossed into the eastbound lanes, broke through a guardrail, struck an electrical line pole, and rolled at least once down an embankment before catching fire. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities confirmed no other vehicles were involved. The Vehicular Crimes Unit is leading the investigation, and preliminary findings indicate speed is suspected as a contributing factor.
A 6-foot-5, 200-pound quarterback from Opa Locka, Florida, Ponder spent the past two seasons with Colorado after transferring in 2024 from Bethune-Cookman. He redshirted during the 2023 season at Bethune-Cookman and did not see game action in his first year in Boulder in 2024. In 2025, he appeared in two games for the Buffaloes. He made his collegiate debut in a 52-17 loss to Arizona on Nov. 1, playing the final three snaps, going 0-for-1 passing with two carries for minus-4 yards. The following week, he logged three snaps on the kickoff unit against West Virginia. He served as a fourth-string quarterback this past season and would have been a junior in 2026.
Coming out of high school, Ponder was an unrated Rivals recruit but earned a three-star grade from 247Sports, ranked as the No. 164 quarterback in his class and the No. 280 overall player in Florida. He played at Carol City High School in Opa Locka and Naples High School, where, as a sophomore, he completed 32 of 84 passes for 511 yards and 10 touchdowns while rushing for 356 yards and three scores.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and athletic director Fernando Lovo issued statements expressing condolences. The Big 12 Conference also extended sympathies. The athletic department is offering counseling resources to players and staff as Colorado opens spring practice on Monday.
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