Three members of the University of Wyoming swim team were killed in a car accident near the Colorado state border on Friday, leaving the school in deep sorrow. One of the worst days in UW athletics history occurred when Carson Muir, Charlie Clark, and Luke Slabber—ages 18, 19, and 21 respectively—were killed after their car overturned several times on Highway 287.
Two passengers were thrown from the Toyota RAV4 in the afternoon collision, according to Colorado authorities, but two other colleagues survived with less severe injuries. For three young athletes with bright futures, the crash site between Livermore and Virginia Dale became their tragic end.
Athletic Director Tom Burman pledged complete support for the bereaved coaches and colleagues, while UW President Ed Seidel described the losses as “simply devastating” for the university community. Despite traveling apart from team activities, the students’ passing has brought the campus together in grief.v
Governor Mark Gordon and other Wyoming officials have joined the outpouring of condolences as authorities attempt to identify the cause of the tragedy. An entire institution is left to lament the unrealized potential as a result of the tragedy, which serves as a devastating reminder of how fast lives can change.
