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Celebrity Deaths 2026: Catherine O’Hara, Eric Dane & More Fallen Stars
The boxing community is grieving the loss of a rising star.
Hannah Rapp, an up-and-coming boxer who challenged for the WBC women's featherweight championship in June, died July 18 after a driver hit her with his car while she was riding her bike in Texas, the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. She was 26.
“On Saturday, July 18, 2026, just before 10:00 a.m., deputies with the Brazos County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the 23000 block of FM 159 in reference to a major crash involving a vehicle and a bicyclist,” local officials wrote in a July 19 statement. “Initial reports indicated that a vehicle had struck a bicyclist, leaving an adult female lying in the roadway.”
“First responders arrived on scene and provided emergency medical care before the victim was transported to a local hospital,” the statement continued. “Despite lifesaving efforts, she later passed away at the hospital.”
The driver, “identified as 31-year-old Charles Medina,” per the statement, passed Rapp and another cyclist while traveling along FM 159 before he stopped his vehicle, “reversed, and struck” Rapp.
Medina told the sheriff’s office that he thought the cyclists were “trying to flag him down,” according to a probable cause statement obtained by NBC News, prompting him to step “on his brakes which caused them to lock up before coming to a stop.”
He also claimed he did not see Rapp when he was backing up “until the last moment before he hit her.”
Instagram/Hannah Rapp
Medina was arrested and charged with Manslaughter and was transported to the Brazos County Detention Center without incident, according to prison records obtained by E! News.
“At this time, investigators believe this was an isolated incident,” the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office’s statement continued. “The investigation remains active and ongoing as detectives continue to gather evidence and review all available information.”
The statement concluded, “The Brazos County Sheriff's Office extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Hannah Rapp during this difficult time.”
Rapp began her athletic career as a track star at Purdue University before transitioning into boxing. She relocated to College Station, Texas, before going pro in 2024 while also maintaining a full-time job as a fire and life safety inspector at Texas A&M.
Instagram/Hannah Rapp
At the time of her tragic death, Rapp was making a name for herself in the boxing world. Just last month, she challenged World Boxing Council women’s featherweight champion Tiara Brown for the WBC women's featherweight title at MVPW-04 in Florida. Rapp lost in a unanimous decision.
Though Rapp’s career in the sport was cut short, her legacy will live on.
"The loss of Hannah Rapp leaves us heartbroken," WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said in a statement. "She was an exceptional boxer, but above all, an invaluable member of our boxing family.”
He continued, “We join in the grief that overwhelms her loved ones, her team, and all those who had the privilege of knowing and supporting her throughout her brilliant career."
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