Former Kansas Jayhawks guard Brett Ballard seriously injured in single-vehicle highway crash

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A beloved Kansas college basketball coach and former Jayhawks standout is in the hospital with serious injuries after a highway crash Tuesday night.

Washburn University head coach Brett Ballard, 46, was behind the wheel of his 2024 Ford F-150 when the crash occurred.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Ballard was traveling westbound on Interstate 470 in Topeka just after 8:15 p.m. when his pickup truck veered off the left side of the roadway.

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Brett Ballard of Kansas walks off the court as Maryland players celebrate in the background after the semifinal round of the NCAA Men's Final Four at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga., on March 30, 2002. Maryland defeated Kansas 97-88 and advanced to the championship game. (Getty Images)

The truck struck a delineator post, traveled into a steep embankment, and then collided with a concrete bridge pillar. The impact left the vehicle heavily damaged. Ballard was the only person inside the truck. First responders transported the injured coach to Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka for treatment. Authorities confirmed he was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash.

Washburn University President JuliAnn Mazachek asked the close-knit community to keep Ballard and his family in their thoughts.

"We are deeply saddened to share that Coach Brett Ballard was seriously injured in a car accident last evening," Mazachek said in a statement. "Our hearts are with Coach Ballard, his family, the men's basketball program