Mississippi State freshman J.P. Purvis was hospitalized and listed in critical condition following an auto accident Tuesday night near the campus.
Also injured were freshman De’Monte Russell, who was treated and released from a hospital in Starkville, Miss., and 18-year-old Xavier Taylor, who also was transported to a hospital in critical condition, the Mississippi Highway Patrol said.
In a news release, the university said Taylor was not affiliated with the school. The nature of the injuries suffered by Purvis or Russell was not disclosed.
Purvis was driving a 2017 Nissan Altima that hit the back of an 18-wheeler on Mississippi Highway 25 at 7:08 p.m. CT on Tuesday, according to the Mississippi Highway Patrol. The accident happened shortly after the Bulldogs finished football practice.
The Highway Patrol statement said 51-year-old Mark Alan Mace was traveling south and attempting to turn the truck into a private driveway at the time of the collision.
All three occupants of the car — 19-year-olds Purvis and Russell as well as Taylor — were taken by ambulance to the hospital in Starkville, where the university is located. Purvis was airlifted to a hospital in Jackson, Miss., and Taylor was airlifted first to Tupelo, Miss., and later to Jackson.
Mace was not injured. The Mississippi Highway Patrol said the accident remains under investigation.
Purvis, a safety, has played in four games this season. Russell, a defensive end, has one tackle in three games.
Mississippi State concludes its season against Louisville in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30.