Former NIU kicker dies after Missouri car crash

QUINCY, Ill. (WGEM) - One man is dead and another man is hurt Friday after a crash on Route MM in Hannibal, Mo., according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

Authorities say Mathew S. Sims, 31, of Hannibal, Mo., was headed westbound on Route MM when he attempted to pass a 2018 Jeep Wrangler, driven by Tyler J. White, 32, also of Hannibal.

Sims was a standout kicker at Northern Illinois University from 2010-13. The Hannibal native’s most famous kick came at the end of the 2011 MAC Championship game when Sims hit a go-ahead 33-yard field goal as time expired to give NIU a 23-20 win over Ohio. Sims ranks first all-time for NIU PATs made and attempted, second in career points for kickers, and third for field goals made.

Sims was taken to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead just after 1 p.m. on Oct. 20.

White was airlifted with moderate injuries. Authorities say White was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.