Athletes Who Died in Accidents

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Mar 2, 2007

Athletes Who Died in Accidents

Six members of the Bluffton University baseball team died when the team's bus fell from an overpass in Atlanta. They were latest in a long list of athletes and coaches who have died in accidents. Here are some others.

Oct. 11, 2006

Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, an avid pilot, died when a small plane he was piloting crashed into an apartment building in Manhattan.

Sept. 11, 2001

Garnet "Ace" Bailey (right), a member of the Boston Bruins 1970 and 1972 Stanley Cup championship teams, aboard Flight 175 in the World Trade Center 9/11 attacks. Also killed in the attacks was Mark Bavis, an NHL scout and hockey player who was drafted in 1989 by the New York Rangers.

Jan. 27, 2001

Players Nate Fleming and Dan Lawson and six officials associated with Oklahoma State's men's basketball team died when their plane went down in Beyers, Colo.

Oct. 25, 1999

A plane carrying Payne Stewart, winner of the 1989 PGA Championship and a two-time U.S. Open winner, went down two miles west of Mina, S.D.

May 11, 1996

Rodney Culver, San Diego Chargers running back, was among the 110 killed in the Florida Everglades when a ValuJet crashed.

April 18, 1996

A small plane piloted by former Nebraska quarterback Brook Berringer crashed two days before the NFL draft in Raymond, Neb.

July 13, 1993

NASCAR driver Davey Allison was killed after a helicopter he was piloting crashed on the infield at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

April 1, 1993

Alan Kulwicki (right), NASCAR's 1992 champion, was killed in a plane crash in Blountville, Tenn.

Aug. 2, 1979

New York Yankees catcher Thurman Munson died in a plane crash in Canton, Ohio.

Dec. 13, 1977

A plane crash killed 14 University of Evansville basketball players and coach Bobby Watson in Evansville, Ind.

Dec. 31, 1972

Former Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Roberto Clemente died when his place en route to Nicaragua to aid earthquake victims went down.

Oct. 2, 1970

Fourteen Wichita State football players were killed when their plane crashed in Colorado.

Nov. 14, 1970

The entire Marshall University football team, including 37 players and 48 others, died whem their plane crashed in Huntington, W.Va.

Aug. 31, 1969

Former heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano died in Newton, Iowa when his plane crashed en route to a birthday party the day before his 46th birthday.

July 24, 1966

Tony Lema, 1964 British Open champion, in Munster, Ind.

Feb. 16, 1961

A plane crash claimed 18 members of the U.S. figure skating team -- including Laurence Owen, in Belgium -- along with 43 international officials, judges, coaches, family members and passengers.

Oct. 10, 1960

A plane crash killed 16 players of the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo football team, a team manager and booster, in Toledo, Ohio. In September of this year, the 1960 football team was inducted into the Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Fame and Mustang Memorial Plaza (left) was dedicated to those who perished in the crash.

March 31, 1931

Legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne was killed when his plane went down in Kansas.

Athletes Who Died in Accidents