The altercation unfolded as Tucker jerked for second place, attempting to shift into lane one. Video footage captured the moment her unnamed rival decelerated, then thrust her arm backward, striking Tucker with the baton.
A shocking incident left Brookville High School sprinter Kaelen Tucker injured during a high school track meet on Friday at Liberty University in Virginia. Competing as the second runner in the 4×200 meter relay, Tucker was hit in the back of the head with a baton by an opposing runner, resulting in a diagnosed concussion and a suspected skull fracture.
The altercation unfolded as Tucker jerked for second place, attempting to shift into lane one. Video footage captured the moment her unnamed rival decelerated, then thrust her arm backward, striking Tucker with the baton. The blow sent Tucker crashing to the track, gripping her head as spectators gasped in shock.
Speaking to WSLS, Tucker explained, “You’ve got to slide into lane one on the far side of the track. She edged me out a bit as I came up, so I held back. Around the bend, she kept knocking into my arm. Then, as I started to edge past her coming off the turn, she whacked me with the baton, and I went down hard.” Tucker later noted, “A headache crept in fast, so I sat out. The doctor I saw said it’s a concussion, and my skull might be fractured too.”
Her family was disturbed by the opposing team’s response– or lack thereof. “They were standing right there with us, replaying the footage, but not one of them said sorry or asked if she was okay,” they told WSLS. “Accident or not, you’d think they’d at least check in.”
Tucker’s mother, Tamarro, reached out to the sport’s authorities, who have since opened an investigation into what’s being called a possible assault. Meanwhile, Heritage (Lynchburg) High School, which had been in the lead, dropped to fifth in the heats after the incident. As the inquiry continues, Tucker’s family is holding out for some acknowledgement or remorse from the other side.
