Athletes Who Died Too Young

From Aaliyah to Tillman to Russert, they had more to offer

(NEWSER) - In looking back at the '00s, the sad tales of luminaries who died too young stand out. Newsweek asked friends and admirers for their reflections:

• Randy Pausch, d. 2008: "Despite it all," JJ Abrams writes, the "Last Lecture" professor "was radiant, kind, and good-humored."
• Tim Russert, d. 2008: "There aren’t many shining examples these days—of anything," Brian Williams writes. "Tim was one."
• Bernie Mac, d. 2008: The comedian's appeal was universal, McG writes. "A little white kid or a middle-aged black guy: everyone loved Bernie Mac."

Was running from previous collision when he allegedly hit Cohen

(NEWSER) - The driver suspected of killing outspoken American Idol contestant Alexis Cohen was fleeing police at the time of the hit-and-run, People reports. Authorities say Daniel J. Bark, 23, hit a parked car, refused to stop for a bicycle cop, and was pulled over minutes later—allegedly after fatally hitting Cohen. Bark, convicted of drunk driving in 2004, was charged with manslaughter, vehicular homicide, and leaving the scene of an accident. More»

Remains suspected to be from Yemenia flight

(NEWSER) - Thirteen bodies found off the coast of Tanzania’s Mafia Island may be the remains of passengers from the Yemen Airways flight that crashed into the Indian Ocean last week, Reuters reports. Tanzanian authorities say that airplane seats and what may be part of an airplane wing were also found in the waters near Mafia Island. More»

2 crew members still missing

(NEWSER) - The Coast Guard is searching for two possible survivors of an early-morning Navy helicopter crash that killed three crew members off the Mexican coast near San Diego. The US and Mexican navies are assisting with the search, as is border patrol, the Union-Tribune reports. The Navy hasn’t identified those involved or commented on the accident’s cause. More»

Untrained young aide also lacked protective gear, OSHA finds

(NEWSER) - UCLA has been fined $31,000 for serious safety violations linked to a fire that killed a lab assistant early this year, reports the Los Angeles Times. Sheri Sangji, 23, had not been properly trained and was not wearing protective clothing when an experiment exploded, seriously burning more than 43% of her body, concluded the California Division of OSHA. She died 18 days later. The dead researcher's sister, however, criticized the agency's report for not examining the accident carefully enough. More»