Barnett surprised his son with tickets before his birthday so he could see his favorite player, Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield, who said through a Bucs spokesperson that he and his wife Emily plan to come to the family
“My thoughts and prayers are with Megan and her family as they deal with this heartbreaking loss,” Mayfield said in a statement. “I am humbled and humbled to know that Connor was a big fan. I would have loved to meet him. As a new father, this really hits home for me. I realize that there are no words that can bring true comfort in any given moment. like this one, but I hope that Megan makes a full recovery and that she draws strength from the great support she is receiving from all over the country.”
Barba’s uncle, Collin Barnett, told “Good Morning America”: “He was a football fan in general and a big Baker fan. He wanted to see Baker play. It was just going to be a great game.”
The crash occurred in Montgomery County, Kansas, about 170 miles southwest of Kansas City, shortly before 4 p.m. on Nov. 2, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. For unknown reasons, a 2014 Chevy Camaro veered into the other lane of a two-lane highway and struck Barba, who was driving, and Barnett head-on. Police said the other driver, Joseph Savage, of Coffeyville, Kansas, also died.
Collin Barnett also told “Good Morning America” that Barba’s quick actions likely saved his mother’s life.
“They told us that the [other car] I was in Connor’s lane, and Connor swerved, [and] who hit the brakes tremendously hard and ran Megan off the road,” Collin Barnett said. “He took the full impact and was kind of heroic about it.”
Barnett is currently in the ICU of a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to a GoFundMe set up by his employer.
