LARAMIE – Roadway tragedy has once again struck the University of Wyoming athletics department.
Three college swimmers: Charlie Clark, 19, a sophomore on the men's team and a psychology major from Las Vegas; Carson Muir, 18, is a freshman on the women's team and is majoring in animal science and veterinary medicine from Birmingham, Alabama. Luke Slabber, a 21-year-old junior on the boys' construction management team from Cape Town, South Africa, died Thursday in a single-vehicle accident on Highway 287 in northern Colorado.
The three athletes died in the crash at 2:45 p.m. at the intersection of Route 287 and Red Mountain Road northwest of Livermore in Larimer County, the Colorado State Patrol said.
Two other members of the men's swimming and diving team also suffered non-threatening injuries in connection with the incident, the university said.
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University swimming coach Dave Denniston told SwimSwam that the team is “devastated” by the tragedy.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with our swimming and diving student-athletes, coaches, families, and friends,” University of Washington athletics director Tom Berman said in a statement late Thursday. “Losing a University of Wyoming family is difficult and we mourn the loss of our student-athletes. We have counseling services available to student-athletes and coaches in their time of need.”
The Cowboys are scheduled to compete in the Western Athletic Conference Championships in Pharr, Texas from February 28th to March 2nd.
The Cowgirls are currently competing in the Mountain West Championship, which runs through Saturday in Houston.
The University of Wisconsin campus was already reeling from the death of Laramie Army ROTC student Sabrina Geller. Her body was discovered on February 14 in the Vedouw district. Her cause of death was not ultimately determined, but law enforcement officials said there were no signs of criminal activity on her part.
Other UW students in need of assistance are encouraged to contact the University Counseling Center at (307) 766-2187. The Counseling Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is ready to support students. Students may also call an after-hours crisis counselor at (307) 766-8989.
The Office of the Dean of Students (307) 766-3296 can help you get the health and academic support you need.
University of Wisconsin employees may seek assistance through the Employee Assistance Program, specifically MINES & Associates at 1-800-873-7138.
“We are heartbroken by the news of this terrible tragedy for our university, our state, our student-athlete community, and most importantly, the families and friends of these young people.” University of Vienna said Ed Seidel, president of the school. “There are not enough words to express our sadness.”
This is the latest in a brutal history of fatal traffic accidents involving Cal State athletes.
Justin Lambert Belanger, 20, of Timmins, Ontario, September 2001. Kody Brown, 21, of Hudson, Colorado. Kyle Johnson, 20, of Riverton. Joshua Jones, 22, of Salem, Oregon. Morgan McClelland, 21, of Gillette. Kevin Salverson, 19, of Cheyenne; Nicholas Chabron, 20, of Laramie; Shane Chateau, 19, of Douglas, was killed in a two-vehicle crash south of Laramie on Route 287 near Tie Siding.
In September 2010, University of California football player Ruben Narcisse, 19, of Miami, Florida, crashed onto Route 287, six miles south of the Wyoming border, after the driver of the car he was a passenger in fell asleep at the wheel. He died in a collision on the highway.
Last July, Nathan Reid, a 24-year-old college track and field athlete from Kingstown, Jamaica, was killed in a car accident near Orin Junction south of Douglas on 18/20 US time.
Follow UW beat writer Ryan Thorburn on Twitter @By_RyanThorburn
