Posted on 12/15/2005 4:11:32 PM PST by Pharmboy
Former NFL tackle Darrell Russell and another ex-football player were killed on Thursday when their speeding car veered out of control on a Los Angeles street -- hitting a curb, fire hydrant, two trees, a newsstand and light pole before slamming into an empty bus.
Authorities said Russell and Mike Bastianelli, who starred alongside Russell at the University of Southern California, were rushed to local hospitals after the 6 a.m. (9 a.m. EST/1400 GMT) crash and died there of massive injuries.
"This was a very serious car accident. The car was traveling at a very high rate of speed," Los Angeles Police Lt. Paul Vernon said.
Local news reports said Russell and Bastianelli, who were both 29, may have been racing another vehicle, but Vernon said investigators had not confirmed that. He said autopsies would determine if either man was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.
Bastianelli was behind the wheel of a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix owned by another former USC and NFL player, Larry Parker, who was not involved in the crash.
Police said Parker had given Russell and Bastianelli permission to use the car.
A standout at USC, Russell played tackle for the Oakland Raiders, Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was suspended several times for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy before he was released in 2004.
Vernon said Bastianelli and Russell were speeding down La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles and made several erratic lane changes before losing control of the car while trying to negotiate a turn.
The car went over a curb, where it crashed through a tree, newsstand, fire hydrant and light pole, then sheared off a second tree and hurled it into a parking lot before the vehicle smashed into the rear of a disabled bus.
The driver of the bus, who had been standing on the nearby sidewalk, ran to safety. Vernon said investigators had not yet determined the speed of the car at the time of the crash or where the two men were going at the time.
Fire crews worked for more than 20 minutes to free the men from their the car.
What a shame.
NFL ping...
par for Russells course. sad.
Speed kills?
29 is a little old to be doing something so stupid. Some guys just never grow up.
It's difficult feel sympathy for this sort of recklessness/foolishness.
Fortunately there were no innocent lives lost.
Who did the Raiders pass up for him? I remember he was a top 2 or 3 pick and came in with a lot of hype out of USC.
"Won't come back from Deadman's Curve..."
I had hoped that D-Russ would have gotten his life back together after flaking out of the NFL. Such a waste of talent and especially life.
Former NFL Player Darrell Russell Killed
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1541254/posts
Thanks...I did the search, including "football" but it was not picked up. Please pull this one.
I posted the other Russell thread, but this one should stay up, it has a little more info than the other one. It didn't come in search 'cause I didn't add any keywords.
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