DaQuan D. Ayers Car Accident: Lincoln University Student Killed on Highway 54
Feb. 18, 2026 — Cole County, Mo. DaQuan D. Ayers, a 21-year-old Lincoln University student from Kansas City, Missouri, died in the DaQuan D. Ayers car accident on Highway 54 at Monticello Road south of Jefferson City when his vehicle failed to yield and pulled into the path of an oncoming SUV.
The two-vehicle collision occurred around 11:30 a.m., according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Ayers was transported to Capital Region Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The SUV driver, a 79-year-old woman from Crocker, sustained serious injuries and was flown to University Hospital.
The DaQuan D. Ayers car accident blocked both westbound lanes of Highway 54 for at least one hour.
Vigil Held in Remembrance
A candlelight vigil for Ayers took place on Friday, February 20, at 1 p.m. at Soldier’s Memorial in Jefferson City, organized by Lincoln University. Hundreds attended, with speakers praising the junior journalism and broadcasting major as an active leader on campus.
“No bad existed with Quan around.”
One attendee shared this sentiment at the vigil.
Background on Ayers
Ayers, born February 29, 2004, was the only child of Lorine Ayers and had been on the Dean’s List for three semesters at Lincoln University, according to his obituary. A 2022 graduate of Center High School, he was initiated into the Alpha Mu Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity in spring 2024.
The fraternity paid tribute, noting his leadership:
“As we honor Da’Quan’s life and the light he brought to his campus and his brotherhood, we ask the Watch The Yard community to keep his family, friends, classmates, and his fraternity brothers in your prayers. A young life full of promise has transitioned, but the love he poured into others will continue to echo through every space he touched.”
Funeral services for the victim of the DaQuan D. Ayers car accident are scheduled for February 27 in Kansas City, including a visitation, Kappa Memorial, and interment.
