A football star was killed and his son was seriously injured in a car accident in Oklahoma on Saturday, October 15, 2016. The accident was a head-on collision that involved two large vehicles.
Car Accident Leaves One Dead, Two Critically Injured
The accident occurred midday Saturday on Oklahoma Route 88 in Rogers County, Oklahoma, just northeast of Tulsa. 50-year-old Dennis Byrd, a former standout defensive end for the New York Jets and the University of Tulsa, was driving a Hummer H2 with his 12-year-old son in the passenger’s seat. A 2000 Ford Explorer, driven by a 17-year-old driver, was going the other way, in the northbound lanes, when it veered into the southbound lane, right into Byrd’s path.
Byrd was pronounced dead at the scene of the car crash. His son and the teen aged driver of the other car were brought to Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, both in critical condition.
Driver a Famous Football Star
Dennis Byrd was a local and national hero for his skills and determination both on and off the gridiron.
Born just outside of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Byrd made a name for himself in high school as an exceptional defensive lineman, earning All-State honors. He went to college at the University of Tulsa, where he was good enough to make it to the NFL, getting drafted in the second round by the New York Jets. Over the course of his four year career in professional football, Byrd established himself as a formidable defensive lineman.
Byrd’s professional football career, however, was cut short when he was paralyzed on the field during a game against the Kansas City Chiefs, trying to sack the quarterback. He broke the fifth cervical vertebrae in his back, a terrible spinal injury that doctors said would leave him unable to walk. Despite the prognosis, Byrd fought through his injury and physical therapy, and was walking again within weeks.
Teammates Urge Brain Donation
Hearing of Byrd’s death, teammates of the former football star have come forward to urge Byrd’s wife to donate Byrd’s brain to the clinic at Boston University that studies chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease that has been repeatedly linked to head and brain injuries of football players. CTE has recently come into the public eye after numerous football players have suffered the ill effects of the disease, which is the subject of Will Smith’s recent film, Concussion.
Cobb County Car Accident Attorney Joel Williams
Car accidents are always terrible events. However, it is a tragedy when one proves fatal, or when it leaves young children or teenagers in critical condition. This crash out of Oklahoma is especially sad because the unfortunate victim was a fighter through his whole life. Hopefully, his family will make the decision to donate his brain for further research at the CTE clinic so doctors can work to piece together the puzzle that is this terrible brain injury.
If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed in a car crash in Georgia, contact Personal Injury lawyer Joel Williams today.