Former Husker Center Mark Pelini dies in car crash

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Former Nebraska football center Mark Pelini died following a car crash in Indiana Sunday night. Pelini was 31.

According to our sister station WNDU, the crash took place on the Indiana Toll Road Sunday evening in western St. Joseph County around 8 p.m.

A preliminary investigation indicates that a white 2017 Ford SUV was traveling west when it hit a deer and then crossed the center median before colliding with a black 2017 Ford pickup truck that was traveling in the opposite direction.

Both the driver and front seat passenger of the SUV were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver was identified as Pelini, 31, and the passenger was identified as Jillian Marian, 31, of Youngstown, Ohio.

A front seat passenger in the pickup was also pronounced dead at the scene. She has been identified as Jane Beecher, 57, of Harrisburg, Pa.

Meanwhile, the driver of the pickup and a backseat passenger were also hurt in the crash. The driver has been identified as David Taylor, 56, of Harrisburg, Pa., and the backseat passenger was identified as Christopher Taylor, 29, of Harrisburg, Pa. They remain in the hospital due to their injuries.

Pelini played for Nebraska from 2010-2014, and was a double major in history and mathematics.

He was also the nephew of former Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini.

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