Ole Miss volleyball and track and field athlete Taina Laporte, 23, has died in a car wreck in Benton County, the school has confirmed.
The accident occurred at the intersection of Highways 7 and 72. According to a WTVA report citing the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Laporte was traveling north on Highway 7 when she apparently drove into the path of an 18-wheeler being driven by Ricky Kirkpatrick, 64, of Rainesville, Alabama.
Laporte, of Irmo, S.C., just completed her senior season with the volleyball team. Known as “Ty,” she was also a high jumper with the track and field team.