Parents of Teen Killed by Hammer Throw Sue NCAA

The NCAA is being sued by the parents of a suburban Chicago Christian college freshman who was struck and killed in 2017 by an errant hammer throw at a track and field meet. The wrongful death lawsuit filed by the parents of Wheaton College student Ethan Roser in US District Court in Chicago alleges the NCAA was negligent by failing to enact minimum size requirements for safety cages and failing to require trained officials at track and field events, the AP reports.

The 19-year-old Roser of Cincinnati was volunteering at the track and field competition when he was accidentally struck by a 16-pound hammer. Attorney Jeffrey Martin says Roser was standing in a designated safety zone at the time. An investigation by Wheaton police determined Roser was watching the actions of two other volunteers rather than focusing on the hammer throw as he had been instructed. An autopsy found that head trauma was the cause of death. NCAA officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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