Tiffin University football player dies of injuries in traffic accident

4/10/2007

A Tiffin University football player died this morning and a candlelight vigil in his honor is planned for 3 p.m. Thursday at the campus, school officials said.

Junior tight end Justin "B.J." Passarge, 21, died at the University of Toledo Medical Center, formerly the Medical College of Ohio Hospital, where he was taken after last week s crash.

Mr. Passarge, as well as sophomore fullback Joshua Carver, 20, and Osman Gulecyuz, 23, all students at the university, were injured in the crash. Both men remain hospitalized.

The candlelight vigil is scheduled at the Gillmor Student Center gymnasium.

Mr. Passarge of Cincinnati was driving his father s sport utility vehicle westbound on County Road 38 in Pleasant Township about 7 p.m. April 3. Mr. Carver of Berea, Ohio, and Mr. Gulecyuz of Turkey, were passengers, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol s Fremont post.

Mr. Passarge failed to stop for a stop sign at the intersection of State Rt. 53. His SUV hit the right rear of a tractor trailer driven by Stanley Null Jr., 39, of Ashland, Ohio, which was northbound on Route 53, troopers said.

The SUV was pushed off the east side of Route 53 and turned onto its side in a ditch. The men were trapped inside the SUV and had to be extricated.

Mr. Null, who was wearing a seat belt, was not hurt.

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