Daughter-in-law of LSU assistant dies in plane crash on way to game
Atlanta — The death of a New Orleans-based sports reporter in a Louisiana plane crash Saturday darkened the mood at the Peach Bowl, where her father-in-law was one of the coaches.
Carley McCord, a freelance sideline reporter who worked for ESPN among other networks, was among five people killed. She was reportedly on her way to Atlanta, where LSU is playing Oklahoma in a College Football Playoff semifinal Saturday.
The Lafayette Fire Department confirmed that McCord was one of the victims.
Ensminger's father, Steve Ensminger, is the offensive coordinator for LSU. The elder Ensminger still coached in the Peach Bowl. About 50 minutes before kickoff, Ensminger came onto the field with LSU's quarterbacks and centers.
He wiped his eyes a few times as he watched pregame warmups. A few LSU players came over to hug him.
The plane, identified by the Federal Aviation Administration as a two-engine Piper Cheyenne, crashed into the parking lot of a post office a mile west of Lafayette Regional Airport around 9:22 a.m.
One surviving passenger and three bystanders were taken to a hospital, Lafayette Fire Chief Robert Benoit told reporters. The survivor, a 37-year-old man, was in critical condition.
The fire department identified the other deceased victims as pilot Ian Biggs, 51, Robert Crisp II, 59, Gretchen Vincent, 51, and Michael Vincent, 15.
Representatives of the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board were en route to the crash site.
McCord, 30, covered the New Orleans Pelicans, the New Orleans Saints and other sports. She also worked as a sports reporter for New Orleans television station WDSU.