Although Jackson tried frantically to rescue Washington, he and his friends watched helplessly as Robert Washington burned to death. The force of the crash sent his feet through the windshield, pinning him inside the automobile. Washington, however, who was sitting in the front seat next to the driver, had his feet on the dashboard. The three students who escaped serious injury were able to jump from the four-door Chevy immediately after the accident, say witnesses.

Carson, 16, and Tyrone Mills, 17, who were also in the car, were treated and released.

It was first published by Atheneum in 1994, and later on Februby Simon Pulse, and is the first book of the Hazelwood High Trilogy. Jackson, who police said had been drinking, was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital, where he is being treated for burns and bruises. Tears of a Tiger is a young adult novel written by Sharon Draper. Witnesses say the car, driven by Andrew Jackson, 17, also of the Hazelwood team, had been noticeably weaving across the lanes of the expressway just before it hit a retaining wall and burst into flames. It is an inspiring story of a young man who rises above the tragic circumstances of his life by drawing on the love and strength of family and friends. 8 - Robert Washington, age 17, captain of the Hazelwood High School basketball team, was killed last night in a fiery automobile accident on 1-75. Draper has interwoven characters and events from her previous novel, Tears of a Tiger, in this unflinchingly realistic portrayal of poverty and child abuse. Crash, Fire, Pain CRASH, FIRE, PAIN Newspaper Article NOVEMBER 8 TEEN BASKETBALL STAR KILLED IN FIERY CRASH

Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper