Cincinnati's Ben Flick Killed in Car Accident; Mark Barr, Javon Harrison Injured

The Cincinnati Bearcats football team is mourning a significant loss on Sunday, as true freshman offensive lineman Ben Flick was killed in a single-car accident on Saturday night, according to College Football Talk. Flick was 19 years old.

In addition to Flick's untimely death, true freshman wide receivers Mark Barr of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Javon Harrison of Dayton, Ohio, suffered undisclosed injuries. Barr was listed in critical condition, as is the driver of the car, who has not been identified yet.

According to Tom Fornelli of CBSSports.com, the accident occurred at 10:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night. The three players were traveling back from the team's game against Miami of Ohio in Oxford, which is 25 miles north of Cincinnati. The three players are on redshirt this season and did not dress or travel with the team.

Flick was pronounced dead at the scene, while Barr, Harrison and the driver were airlifted to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Cincinnati head coach Tommy Tuberville commented on the tragedy and expressed a great deal of grief:

"

I can't put into words how tragic this is. As a father and a coach, it's something you hope you never have to go through. Ben was so proud to be a part of this team and University. He worked hard and had shown a great deal of improvement since the summer. His future was bright. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Flick family on their loss. We also hope and pray for Mark and Javon to recover from their injuries.

"

The Bearcats defeated the Miami University RedHawks 14-0 earlier on Saturday to improve their record to 3-1 on the season. Cincinnati is one of several teams hoping to challenge Louisville for supremacy in the newly formed American Athletic Conference, but it will now do so with a heavy heart.

According to 247Sports.com, the 6'6", 265-pound Flick was a Hamilton, Ohio, product who garnered a grade of 76 from the site and was listed as a 2-star recruit.

Several schools showed interest in Flick, but he ultimately settled on Cincinnati. He was expected to be a big contributor along the offensive line in the coming years.

Barr and Harrison have also been spectators this season, and there is no question that everyone involved with the Cincinnati football program is hopeful that they will make full recoveries from the accident and resume their football careers.

This tragic news comes on the heels of UCLA wide receiver Nick Pasquale dying after being hit by a car on Sept. 8, so there is no question that this is a very difficult time for major college football.

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