Three members of the University of Wyoming swimming and diving team were killed in a single-vehicle accident in northern Colorado, the university confirmed.
The crash occurred on the afternoon of Thursday, February 22 on U.S. Highway 287, about 10 miles south of the Wyoming-Colorado border, near the intersection with Red Mountain Road between Livermore and Virginia Dale, Colorado. The incident also left two other team members injured, though their injuries are not considered life-threatening.
The vehicle, identified as a Toyota RAV4, was traveling southbound when it veered off the road, resulting in the vehicle rolling multiple times. The crash led to the ejection of two individuals from the SUV.
The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) reported that the accident occurred just before 2:45 p.m., involving five occupants in the vehicle – three of whom were a 22-year-old man, a 21-year-old man, and an 18-year-old woman, all of whom succumbed to their injuries. The two surviving members, men aged 20 and 21, were promptly taken to hospitals for treatment.
The three students who lost their lives have been identified as Charlie Clark, 19, Carson Muir, 18, and Luke Slabber, 21.
Clark, a psychology student from Las Vegas, was in his second year on the men’s team. Muir, hailing from Birmingham, Alabama, was a first-year student on the women’s team and was majoring in animal and veterinary sciences. Slabber, a third-year student from Cape Town, South Africa, was also part of the men’s team and was pursuing a degree in construction management.
Preliminary investigations by the CSP suggest the driver swerved before the vehicle went off-road, although the exact cause of the accident is still under investigation.
University of Wyoming President Ed Seidel expressed deep sorrow over the incident. Tom Burman, the University of Wyoming Director of Athletics, also conveyed his condolences, emphasizing the difficulty of losing members of the university family and mentioning that counseling services are available for student-athletes and coaches in need.
This incident recalls a tragic history on the same highway where, in 2001, a head-on collision with a drunken driver claimed the lives of eight members of the University of Wyoming cross-country team. The driver, Clint Haskins, a University of Wyoming student, survived the crash and was later paroled after serving 9 1/2 years for aggravated vehicular homicide.
The University of Wyoming and the broader community are now mourning the loss of these young athletes. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon expressed his condolences to the families affected and urged the community to keep the families in their hearts.
