A promising college athlete’s life was cut short in a terrifying wrong-way collision that turned deadly in seconds.
Matthew Wing, a 22-year-old junior on the track and field team at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska, was killed Friday night after a Ford Explorer traveling the wrong direction slammed head-on into the car he was driving on Interstate 49 in Harrisonville, Missouri, according to a report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Investigators say Wing was behind the wheel of a Toyota Prius heading northbound with three passengers — all identified as Concordia students — when, at about 10:20 p.m., a southbound Ford Explorer entered the northbound lanes and crashed into them.
The impact sparked a fire in the Prius, according to the crash report. The Ford Explorer came to a stop on the median.
The three passengers riding with Wing were injured in the wreck. The driver of the Explorer, described as a 30-year-old man from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. He has not been publicly identified.
Concordia University athletics confirmed Wing’s death Tuesday, posting a statement mourning the loss and extending condolences to his wife and family, while also offering prayers for teammates, classmates, and loved ones.
Wing, originally from Sweet Springs, Missouri, was working toward a degree in secondary education. He is survived by his wife, Bri Worley, along with his parents, siblings, and extended family, according to his obituary. The couple met on a church trip to Kansas City in 2018 and married on May 24, 2025.
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