Ereck Plancher

The parents of a onetime Lely High School football star who died after a practice at the University of Central Florida say they intend to file a wrongful death suit against the university.

Ereck Plancher, a 19-year-old redshirt freshman, collapsed during an offseason conditioning workout on March 18 in Orlando during UCF’s spring drills and later died.

UCF head coach George O’Leary was among those present for the conditioning drills.

Plancher was a standout running back at Lely through fall 2006, when he was honored as offensive MVP after netting 1,027 yards of total offense. He graduated high school a semester early and enrolled at UCF.

The attorney for the family, J.D. Dowell, gave formal notice of the lawsuit intention in a letter Friday to the university and the University’s Board of Trustees.

The notification of the intent to file a lawsuit, a procedure followed in Florida before a government-run agency is sued, came from the firm of Pitisci, Dowell, Markowitz and Murphy.

The notice says the Planchers, who have been unavailable for comment to the media recently, intend to file a wrongful death suit.

The notice arrived via a registered letter to the UCF trustees chairman and Alex Sink, chief financial officer of the Florida Department of Financial Services.

The letter, signed by Dowell, alleges, in part:

“ ... While participating in those drills, Ereck Plancher was overexerted, collapsed and subsequently died. While participating in these drills, Ereck Plancher experienced exhaustion, dizziness, shortness of breath and other signs of extreme fatigue that were ignored by trainers and/or coaches of the University of Central Florida.

“As a direct and proximate result of the University of Central Florida’s negligence, Ereck Plancher collapsed and died.

“Please be advised that Enock Plancher, as personal representative of the Estate of Ereck Plancher, intends to pursue all claims and damages entitled to the survivors and the Estate pursuant to the Florida Wrongful Death Act.”

Contacted Saturday afternoon, UCF spokesman Grant Heston said he couldn’t discuss any ongoing litigation involving the university.

“First and foremost, the health of our student athletes is top priority and they receive outstanding care at UCF,” Heston added.

On July 17, the Medical Examiner’s Office in Central Florida released its autopsy, stating that Plancher died of sickle cell trait, which “predisposed him to sickling of the red blood cells during periods of physical stress.”

The autopsy also concluded that “sickling of the red blood cells caused (an) obstruction of the vasculature leading to decreased or absent blood flow to his muscles and internal organs leading to rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown), ischemia, dysrhythmias, and death,’’ the report said.

After the release of the autopsy report, UCF athletic director Keith Tribble said in a statement on the school’s Web site that UCF found out about Plancher’s sickle cell trait during physical exams in January 2007.

“Our staff advised Ereck of his sickle cell trait and monitored his physical condition at every practice and workout,’’ Tribble said in the statement.

Dowell said the family has had difficulty getting information from the university.

“The Plancher family has been frustrated by the fact that they have not been able to get an accurate account of what happened during the conditioning drills on March 18,” Dowell said in a prepared statement. “They feel very strongly that they do not want any other families to go through what they are going through.”

Dowell told The Orlando Sentinel that attorneys have been conducting their own investigation.

The National Athletic Trainers’ Association has formed a task force to help reduce the risk of collapses during sports and exercise due to sickle cell trait.

Naples Daily News
Naples Sun Times
The Banner

Collier Citizen
Vista Semanal
PrepZone

Coastalbeat
Set Anchor
SWFLMoms