The daughter-in-law of LSU co-offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger was killed in the crash of a small plane in Louisiana on Saturday morning. The plane was headed for Georgia and was carrying LSU fans who planned to attend the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, killing at least five people, according to multiple reports.
LSU head coach Ed Orgeron confirmed to ESPN’s Holly Rowe that Carley McCord, who was married to Steve Ensminger Jr., was among the victims in the crash in Lafayette, La. Orgeron said Ensminger would coach in the Peach Bowl Saturday afternoon which pits No. 1 LSU against No. 4 Oklahoma in one College Football Playoff semifinal.
“Our thoughts and prayers out to him. Steve and his wife, his family are so distraught,” Orgeron said.
Rowe said Ensminger was on the field pre-game and fought back tears as personnel on the field offered their condolences.
McCord, 30, was a Louisiana-based sports reporter and Baton Rouge native who worked on a freelance basis for outlets that included Cox Sports Television, ESPN3 and WDSU-TV. She also was the in-game host for the New Orleans Pelicans and New Orleans Saints.
“We are devastated by the loss of such an amazing talent and valued member of our WDSU family,” said Joel Vilmenay, the station’s president and general manager. “Carley’s passion for sports journalism and her deep knowledge of Louisiana sports, from high school to the professional ranks, made her an exceptional journalist.
“As we reflect on her impressive body of work, we offer our deepest condolences to her family.”
Data from Flightaware showed that the plane took off from Lafayette Regional Airport at 9:20 a.m. and was en route to DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in Chamblee, Ga.
Details of the crash were limited, but television station KATC reported that there were six people aboard the plane, with five pronounced dead at the scene and one transported to a hospital in critical condition. Three others also were injured who weren’t in the plane, at least one critically.
Witnesses told the TV station that the plane clipped a power line, apparently as it was trying to make an emergency landing. One witness said the plane hit two cars.