Texas A&M Athlete Dies In Car Accident On His Way Home For Holiday Break

A Texas A&M student athlete died over the weekend in a car accident while he was on his way home for the holiday break.

The university announced the death of cross country and track & field freshman Chance Gibson on Sunday. Gibson died Saturday at 11:20 a.m. as he was returning home to The Woodlands, Texas, from College Station.

"Words cannot express the loss of Chance. Chance was a great young person with a bright future. He will be missed by everyone that came in contact with him. It is a sad day for Texas A&M, and our hearts are broken for his family and friends," head coach Pat Henry said in a statement.

Distance and cross country coach Wendel McRaven spoke to Gibson's character.

"Our hearts are broken. Chance was a bright, funny and determined young man. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Gibson family. As a coach and a parent this is really tough. It is going to take us all a while to wrap our heads around this tragedy," he said.

Texas A&M Athletics Director Ross Bjork offered his condolences to the Gibson family, where his father and uncles are all Aggie alumni.

"This is a tragic moment for the Gibson family, Texas A&M and for our cross country and track & field programs. On behalf of everyone at Texas A&M Athletics, we offer sincere condolences to Chance's family, his teammates and his friends," Bjork said.

Gibson had just completed his first semester at Texas A&M. This fall, he competed in the Aggie Opener 5K and the Texas A&M Invitational 8K. At The Woodlands High School, he was a three-year letterwinner in cross country and track & field.

The university said funeral arrangements are pending.