The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have donated $10,000 to an Oklahoma family after 18-year-old Baker Mayfield fan, Connor Barba, was tragically killed in a car accident on the way to the game.
Barba and his mother, Megan Barnett, were traveling over the weekend to Arrowhead Stadium to watch the Bucs take on the Kansas City Chiefs. The mother-son trip was meant to celebrate Barba’s upcoming birthday.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) passes the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
But they were involved in a tragic head-on collision with another vehicle in Kansas, killing Barba and leaving his mother seriously injured.
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According to the Kansas Highway Patrol crash log, a vehicle heading southbound on U169 turned into the northbound lane for an “unknown reason” and struck Barba’s vehicle head-on. The 45-year-old male driver of that car was also killed in the crash.
A third vehicle was involved in the crash, but the driver was not injured.
Following the tragic news, the Bucs donated $10,000 to the family, and a team spokesperson said that Mayfield, Barba’s favorite player, and his wife plan to reach out to the family, ESPN reported.
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Joshua Uche (55) tackles Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
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“My thoughts and prayers go out to Megan and her family as they deal with this heartbreaking loss,” Mayfield said in a statement, via the outlet. “I am honored and humbled knowing that Connor was such a big fan. I would have loved to have met him. As a new parent, this really hits home for me.”
He continued, “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.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) runs the ball during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)
According to a fundraiser set up on behalf of the family, Barnett is in the ICU in Tulsa and “has many injuries that will require extensive recovery.”
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Barba’s uncle Collin Barnett told “Good Morning America” that the young man’s quick thinking at the time of the crash may have saved his mother’s life.
“We were told that the [other car] was in Connor’s lane, and Connor swerved, [and] that he hit the brakes tremendously hard and got Megan out of the way,” he said, via ESPN. “He took the full impact and was kind of heroic in that.”
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