3 professional Frisbee players die in Michigan highway crash

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Three professional Frisbee players have died after they were involved in car crash en route to a team practice in Detroit, authorities said.

Kevin Coulter, Drew Piet and Michael Cannon died after their vehicle was rear-ended Saturday evening on Interstate 96 in Ionia County, roughly 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Detroit. Cannon died at a hospital, where he had been on life support until his organs could be donated, hospital officials confirmed on Tuesday morning.

Michigan State Police officials say speed and inattention were believed to be factors in the crash, The Grand Rapids Press reported.

The men played for the American Ultimate Disc League team the Detroit Mechanix.

About two dozen family members, friends and others from the Grand Rapids Ultimate club lined the halls of a Lansing hospital Monday to pay their respects to Piet, who also was taken off life support and moved past them to another room for organ donation. Club members also gathered the same day at a Grand Rapids sports facility to grieve and share memories.

“The outpouring of support … is amazing,” said Marie Bongiovanni, Piet’s mother. “I had no idea that this was such a family, and I’m so glad that Drew was a part of this family.”