On June 24, 2020, Jhanae Ingraham was headed home to visit her family before going to her month-long internship in Pennsylvania. However, while stopped in traffic as a passenger in her boyfriend’s car at the University Parkway Overpass, an inattentive semi-truck driver traveling Southbound on I-75 didn’t slow for the traffic ahead. The semi plowed through nine vehicles ahead of it before coming to a stop, resulting in two deaths, one hospitalization, and many more injuries. The chain crash caused the car Jhanae was sitting in to turn directly in front of the oncoming truck and she was struck while the truck was going 68 mph and carrying 70,000 lbs of cargo. Jhanae was killed in the crash at the young age of 22 and her boyfriend was hospitalized for severe injuries.
Jhanae Ingraham was a 2nd year graduate at the University of South Florida studying to become an Athletic Trainer at the time of her death. She was an amazing leader stood for many topics such as education, health, entrepreneurship, and service, in addition to being a mentor to many as a cheerleading coach and financial advisor.
The Jhanae Sunflower Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Miami, Florida created to honor the memory, passion, and community service of Jhanae Ingraham. JSF’s purpose is to guide youth and adolescents through mentorship by promoting good health, entrepreneurship, and community service. The Jhanae Sunflower Foundation vision is for equality in all these areas and their mission is to help elevate and empower youth by providing access to tools and resources.