Mark Pelini, former Nebraska Cornhuskers player, has died in a vehicle incident in Indiana

OMAHA, Nebraska — Mark Pelini, who began the 2014 season at center for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and was the nephew of former Husker head coach Bo Pelini, perished in a car accident in Indiana on Sunday.

According to investigators, Pelini, 31, was driving an SUV that struck a deer on a toll road in Indiana. The SUV crossed the median and collided head-on with a pickup.

Pelini and his passenger, 31-year-old Jillian Marian from Youngstown, Ohio, perished in the crash. Jane Beecher, 57, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was a passenger in the pickup that perished in the accident.

The pickup truck’s driver and rear-seat passenger survived with severe injuries.

Mark Pelini was a member of the Huskers between 2010 and 2014. He began the 2014 season as a walk-on before becoming the team’s starting center.