Loyola Athletes Die in Crash

Two student-athletes at Loyola Marymount were among four people killed in a one-car accident Friday morning as they were heading toward a weekend vacation at Lake Havasu, Ariz., school and law enforcement officials said.

Jessica Hanson, a soccer player, and Adam Bacon, a member of the cross-country team, were fatally injured in the 10:45 a.m. accident when the driver of the van in which they were traveling lost control of the vehicle before it struck a median and flipped several times on Interstate 40 outside Needles, Calif., according to a California Highway Patrol spokeswoman.

Also killed were Hanson’s father, Kelly, along with an unidentified male passenger, the spokeswoman said.

“This is obviously a tragic time for Jessica and Adam’s families, as well as the Loyola Marymount community,” Athletic Director Bill Husak said in a statement. “Both typified the best of LMU student-athletes, and this world was greatly impacted by them.”

Funerals are pending.

Three additional passengers -- including the driver -- were taken to University Medical Hospital of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas.

Hanson and Bacon, her boyfriend, were on their way to vacation with her family before entering their senior seasons.

Hanson, who was to turn 21 on Aug. 15, attended La Canada Flintridge Sacred Heart High and was a three-year starter at defender for the Lions.

“I don’t think any of us can believe it,” Coach Gregg Murphy said. “Just an awesome, awesome lady.”

Bacon, 21, helped lead Loyola Marymount to its first NCAA regional meet in five years last season. The native of Middletown, R.I., attended Coronado High outside San Diego and was to be the team’s captain this season.

“Somewhere along the way, he took this team and made it his,” Coach Scott Guerrero said.

“We had our best season last year, and he was a big part of that.”

It was the second tragic event in nine days for the Loyola Marymount campus.

Miguel Respress, a 17-year-old high school basketball player from New York’s Niagara Falls High, collapsed and died July 28 after an Amateur Athletic Union game at Gersten Pavilion.