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Former Parkview High School football players Michael McCrimmons and Diondre Johnson died today in an early-morning car accident near Sarcoxie.

The pair, both 19, played at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin and were 2010 graduates of Parkview.

The players were passengers in a car traveling westbound on I-44 about 2 miles east of Sarcoxie when their sport-utility vehicle crashed about 2:30 a.m. this morning. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, Johnson was ejected from the car.

The driver was Jeremy W. Johnson of Harrison, Ark. He left the vehicle and was struck by a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Charles Lee, 62, of Wentworth, Mo., on eastbound I-44, according to the highway patrol. He was airlifted to Freeman Hospital West in Joplin with serious injuries.

McCrimmons died minutes later after the SUV was struck by a 2003 Sterling Conventional tractor trailer driven by Steven Sweeten of Cameron, Okla., according to the highway patrol.

McCrimmons and Diondre Johnson were pronounced dead at the scene. A fourth man, Patrick M. Holt of Benton, Ark., was airlifted to St. Johns Hospital in Springfield with serious injuries.

A Facebook page planning a candlelight vigil for 7 p.m. Saturday at JFK Stadium was created to honor the men. Parkview’s Jason Michel, athletic director and assistant principal who is in control of JFK events, said no plans have been made for a vigil.

Michel said there would likely be a moment of silence before tonight’s 7:30 p.m. Parkview basketball game against Tulsa Central at the high school.

Former Parkview coach Wes Beacher, now the varsity football coach at Nevada, said McCrimmons and Johnson were both hard-working players.

McCrimmons, at 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds, was an all-conference defensive back at Parkview.

“Michael always had a smile on his face, even when we were working hard,” Beachler said. “He was very dedicated, and didn’t have any enemies that I know of. He was an outstanding young man and very hard working.”

Both players helped the Vikings snap their 58-game losing streak in 2008.

“Diondre was probably one of the best young men I’ve ever coached,” Beachler said of Johnson, a defensive end at Parkview. “The combined type of young man he was, with the talent and the work ethic he had was very rare. He had the desire to get better and ability to take criticism.”

At 6-foot, 240 pounds, Diondre Johnson was listed as a tight end on the MSSU roster.

Beachler said he’s never had to deal with this kind of tragedy in his coaching career, which has included head coaching jobs at five schools.

MSSU finished its season on Nov. 12 at 3-7. Johnson appeared in nine games for the Lions this season, catching a six-yard touchdown pass for his only career reception.