When you search for the Patrick McCaffery car accident, you're actually stepping into a tangle of viral rumors, a very real family tragedy, and a case of mistaken identity that has persisted across the internet for over two years. It’s one of those things where the algorithm gets a name stuck in its teeth and won't let go.
Let’s be clear right out of the gate: Patrick McCaffery, the former Iowa Hawkeye standout who transferred to Butler for the 2024-2025 season, was not the driver in the fatal accident that shook Iowa City in May 2023.
The driver was his younger brother, Jack McCaffery.
But because Patrick is a high-profile athlete—the son of Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery and a player who has been incredibly open about his battles with thyroid cancer and anxiety—his name often gets pulled into the search queries. People remember "McCaffery" and "accident," and Patrick’s name is the one they know best.
The Incident That Sparked the Confusion
It happened on a Monday afternoon. May 22, 2023.
Jack McCaffery, who was just 16 at the time, was driving home from Iowa City West High School shortly after 4:00 p.m. He was behind the wheel of a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe, heading westbound on Melrose Avenue.
At the same time, Sgt. First Class Corey Hite, a 45-year-old veteran of the Iowa Army National Guard, was out for a jog.
The intersection at Melrose Avenue and Kennedy Parkway is a tricky one. It’s a multi-lane road with a crosswalk, but no traffic light. Witnesses at the scene, including a postal carrier in a mail truck, testified that traffic had slowed down. A driver in the right lane actually waved Hite across the street.
That’s where things went south.
Jack was in the left lane. The vehicle that stopped to wave Hite through reportedly blocked Jack's view of the jogger. As Hite stepped into the left lane, Jack’s car struck him. There was no evidence of speeding. No evidence of phone use. No drugs or alcohol. Just a split-second nightmare that changed two families forever.
The Legal Aftermath and the "Failure to Yield" Verdict
While the Patrick McCaffery car accident rumors grew on social media, the legal system was focused on Jack.
Sgt. Corey Hite didn't die immediately. He was rushed to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics with devastating injuries—multiple skull fractures, a fractured pelvis, and internal organ damage. He fought for two weeks before passing away on June 4, 2023.
🔗 Read more: How Much Is a Baseball Bat? What Most People Get Wrong About the Cost
The legal charge wasn't vehicular homicide or manslaughter. Those charges usually require "recklessness" or "willful disregard," which the investigators didn't find here. Instead, Jack was cited for a simple misdemeanor: failure to yield to a pedestrian in the right of way.
In September 2023, a judge found Jack guilty. The reasoning was strictly by the letter of the law. Even if a driver’s view is obstructed, Iowa law places the burden on the driver to yield to anyone in a crosswalk.
- The Fine: Jack was ordered to pay $1,000.
- The License: His driving privileges were suspended for 180 days.
- The Statement: Fran and Margaret McCaffery called it an "unavoidable accident" and expressed deep devastation for the Hite family.
Why Patrick’s Name Is Still Linked to the Crash
Honestly, the internet is just messy.
Patrick McCaffery has dealt with enough. He’s a "thriver"—a term the V Foundation uses for him because he beat thyroid cancer after a diagnosis at age 14. He has missed games to manage his mental health, specifically anxiety that affected his ability to eat and maintain weight.
🔗 Read more: Philadelphia Eagles 2025 Draft Picks: What Most People Get Wrong
When a family goes through a public trauma like the one in 2023, every member of that family gets searched. Patrick was the face of the Iowa program at the time. When fans heard "McCaffery accident," they typed his name into Google.
The 2024 transfer to Butler only added more search volume to his name. People wondered if the "accident" was why he left Iowa City. In reality, Patrick’s move to Butler was about a fresh start for his final year of eligibility, getting out of the shadow of the Hawkeye program where he’d spent five seasons.
Understanding the "Waving" Danger
There is a massive takeaway from this tragedy that goes beyond sports or celebrity. It’s what safety experts call "the wave of death."
When a driver stops and waves a pedestrian to cross a multi-lane road, they think they are being helpful. Kinda like a "nice guy" move. But they can only control their own lane. They can’t guarantee that the car coming up in the lane next to them sees the pedestrian.
In this case, that "nice" gesture created a blind spot that cost a father of four his life and left a teenager carrying the weight of a fatal collision.
Moving Forward: Actionable Safety Steps
If you’re a driver or a pedestrian, the details of this case offer some pretty heavy lessons.
✨ Don't miss: Seahawks Highlights from Today: The Rainy Divisional Thriller You Missed
- Never wave pedestrians across multiple lanes. If you want to be safe, just stop. Let them decide when it's safe to move. Waving them on creates a false sense of security that can be fatal.
- Pedestrians: Treat every lane as a new road. Just because one car stopped doesn't mean the next one will. Peek around the stopped car before stepping into the next lane.
- Check for "Failure to Yield" laws in your state. In many places, like Iowa, you are legally responsible for hitting someone in a crosswalk even if you couldn't see them. It's a "strict liability" situation in many jurisdictions.
- Verify names before sharing. Misinformation about the Patrick McCaffery car accident continues to float around because people don't distinguish between the brothers.
Patrick is currently focused on his career at Butler. Jack is finishing his high school career and committed to playing for his dad at Iowa. The Hite family continues to live with the loss of a husband and father. It’s a heavy story with no real "winners," just a series of lives permanently altered by a few seconds on Melrose Avenue.
To stay informed on road safety and local Iowa City traffic laws, check the official City of Iowa City transportation guides or the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) manuals on pedestrian right-of-way.