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packers11
02-24-2007, 01:35 AM
Updated: Feb. 24, 2007, 2:22 AM ET
Tomlinson's father killed in truck accidentAssociated Press


WACO, Texas -- The father of San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson was killed Friday when the pickup truck in which he was riding flipped on a highway, authorities said.

Oliver Tomlinson, 71, was killed in the 1:30 p.m. one-vehicle rollover, said Charlie Morgan, a Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman.

The pickup's driver, Ronald C. McClain was taken by ambulance to Waco's Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center, where he later died, Morgan said. The 48-year-old McClain was Tomlinson's brother-in-law, authorities said.

The Department of Public Safety said that according to the accident report, McClain veered off the roadway and overcorrected, sending the car across the highway and into a ditch. The report does not mention a blown tire as initial accounts of the accident suggested. Both men were thrown from the truck, Morgan said.

LaDainian Tomlinson was returning to Texas after being notified about the accident and his father's death, Morgan said.

Jewel Tomlinson, Oliver's wife and LaDainian's stepmother, said her husband and McClain had been returning to Waco after a trip to the family home in Tomlinson Hill, the Waco Tribune-Herald reported in its online edition Friday. She said Oliver, who lived in Chilton, had been staying in Waco recently while recovering from an illness.

LaDainian Tomlinson, who won the NFL's MVP award last season, played football at Waco's University High School before going on to star at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press



poor LT :( ... My prayers go to him and his family...

red
02-24-2007, 09:33 AM
yeah that sucks, freak accident

man LT's dad really had him late in life

Charles Woodson
02-24-2007, 09:51 AM
Me heart goes out to him...
damn...

MadtownPacker
02-24-2007, 10:35 AM
Sad news for one of the NFL's good guys.

It doesnt sound like they where wearing seatbelts. TX doesnt have a seatbelt law? Does WI?

BallHawk
02-24-2007, 10:52 AM
I remember reading that LT and his Dad had a very shaky relationship, and of late hadn't talked much. Still, what a tragic loss. Our prayers our with you, LaDainian.

oregonpackfan
02-24-2007, 11:56 AM
It is emotionally tough to lose a parent no matter what level of relationship you had with that parent.

Take it from someone who has lost both parents.

packers11
02-24-2007, 03:51 PM
Updated: Feb. 24, 2007, 4:30 PM ET
Tomlinson says he's 'devastated' by father's deathAssociated Press


WACO, Texas -- San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson said Saturday he was "devastated" by the death of his father, who was killed when the pickup truck he was riding in flipped on a Texas highway.



According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Oliver Tomlinson, 71, was killed Friday afternoon in the one-vehicle rollover. The driver, Ronald C. McClain, was rushed by ambulance to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center, where he later died. The 48-year-old McClain was Tomlinson's brother-in-law, authorities said.



"My father and I had a great relationship, and I am devastated by his passing," the NFL MVP said in a short statement issued Saturday afternoon. "I will miss him."



LaDainian Tomlinson starred at Waco's University High School before going on to TCU and the Chargers.



"We thank everyone for their kind words and thoughts and hope they will continue to respect our family's privacy at this sad time," he added.



The statement did not mention funeral arrangements or other details.



Jewel Tomlinson, Oliver's wife and LaDainian's stepmother, told the Waco Tribune-Herald that Oliver and McClain had been driving back to Waco after a trip to the family home in Tomlinson Hill when the accident occurred.



Investigators said it appears that McClain lost control of the truck after he drifted to the right side of the road and then overcorrected his steering. The truck veered into a ditch and crashed into a mound of gravel. Both men were ejected from the vehicle.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press