Ohio HS sports star born without legs dies in ATV crash

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DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio man born without legs who garnered national praise while playing high school football died in an all-terrain vehicle crash.

Bobby Martin, 32, died from multiple trauma Tuesday after being thrown from an ATV and hitting another vehicle’s windshield, Montgomery County Coroner’s Office announced.

His death was ruled an accident.

Officials said Martin was driving in a stolen ATV when he failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with a minivan. He hit the minivan’s windshield before landing on the sidewalk.

Martin was taken to Miami Valley Hospital, where he later died.

The Dayton native was born with a congenital disorder that caused abnormal fetal development of the lower spine.

But despite this, Martin rose to national attention in 2005 when he played for Colonel White High School’s football team as a senior.

A photo of him was included in a Sports Illustrated column of the publication’s 100 greatest sports photos of all time.

FILE – In this Sept. 15, 2005, file photo, Colonel White’s Bobby Martin (99) waits with teammates at the locker room door before entering the playing field for a game against Dunbar in Dayton, Ohio. Martin, born without legs who garnered national praise while playing high school football, died in all-terrain vehicle crash on Tuesday, April 28, 2020. He was 32. The former high school football star was born without legs but gained national praise in 2005 when he played with the school’s team even after being told at halftime that he could not finish the game because he was violating a rule that required players to wear shoes, thigh pads and knee pads. (Jim Witmer/Dayton Daily News via AP)
https://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2020/05/web1_124827244-8c1edaf1df264e15a17a001d52387fff.jpgFILE – In this Sept. 15, 2005, file photo, Colonel White’s Bobby Martin (99) waits with teammates at the locker room door before entering the playing field for a game against Dunbar in Dayton, Ohio. Martin, born without legs who garnered national praise while playing high school football, died in all-terrain vehicle crash on Tuesday, April 28, 2020. He was 32. The former high school football star was born without legs but gained national praise in 2005 when he played with the school’s team even after being told at halftime that he could not finish the game because he was violating a rule that required players to wear shoes, thigh pads and knee pads. (Jim Witmer/Dayton Daily News via AP)

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