(Gray News) – A mom and her son were involved in a fatal crash last weekend as they were on their way to Kansas City to watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Chiefs.
Megan Barnett surprised her son, 18-year-old Connor Barba, with tickets ahead of his birthday so he could see his favorite player – Baker Mayfield, KOCO reported.
On the way to the game, the pair was involved in a head-on collision with a Chevy Camaro, according to Kansas State Police.
Barba and the driver of the Camaro died in the crash.
Barnett is in the ICU at a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to a GoFundMe set up for the family.
Barba’s uncle told KOCO that it was the 18-year-old’s quick reaction in the driver’s seat that likely saved his mother’s life.
“Connor swerved right in a way and slammed on the brakes as hard as he could,” his uncle told KOCO. “When Connor did that, he took the full brunt of the car of the Camero.”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have donated $10,000 to Barba’s family, according to ESPN.
“Sending our love to Connor Barba’s family as they grieve this tragic loss,” the Buccaneers organization posted on X, sharing the GoFundMe. “Join us in supporting Connor’s family through this challenging time.”
“I am honored and humbled knowing that Connor was such a big fan. I would have loved to have met him,” Mayfield, the Bucs quarterback, said in a statement issued to ESPN. “As a new parent, this really hits home for me. I realize there are no words that can provide true comfort at a time such as this, but I hope that Megan makes a full recovery and that she draws strength from the outpouring of support she is receiving from around the country.”
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