Former NFL star Dennis Byrd, 50, killed in car crash after driver 'veered into oncoming lane'

Former NFL star Dennis Byrd died, aged 50, in a car collision.

A 17-year-old driver veered into the oncoming lane striking the Hummer H2 Byrd was driving, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.

Byrd was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which happened between Oologah and Claremore, Oklahoma.

The young motorist and a 12-year-old passenger in Byrd's vehicle were taken to Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa in a critical condition.

Byrd starred at Tulsa before playing for the New York Jets.

The defensive lineman, whose career was ended by neck injury, was midway through his fourth NFL season when he was briefly paralysed during a game in 1992.

He broke his neck after slamming headfirst into the chest of teammate Scott Mersereau as Chiefs quarterback David Krieg stepped forward to avoid a sack.

The impact broke the C-5 vertebra in Byrd's neck, leaving him unable to walk for a few weeks.

He never fully recovered from the injury, walking with some difficulty and going through continuous rehabilitation during the years since.