Junior Player Peter Halash, 19, Dies in Automobile Accident

Topeka RoadRunners(NAHL) forward Peter Halash has died at the age of 19 after being involved in an automobile accident on Sunday evening.

Halash, origninally from Novi, Michigan played high school hockey at Detroit Catholic Central, where he was a captain and an all-league forward in one of the state's most competitive leagues. After a brief stint with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL, Halash eventually found a home with the Topeka RoadRunners in the NAHL. This year, in his second season with the RoadRunners, Halash had scored 7 goals and 13 assists for 20 points through 36 games, which put him fourth on Topeka's team in scoring. Halash tallied a goal in his last game on Saturday, a 2-1 victory for the RoadRunners.

Details are still scarce, though the Topeka Capital-Journal mentions a motorist killed in a single-car accident due to rough weather conditions on Sunday evening.(UPDATE: Shawnee County authorities have confirmed the car in that accident belonged to Halash, but will not confirm Halash was the driver until the body is officially identified.)

It's a horrible tragedy to see such a young, promising life end at such a young age. Thoughts and prayers go out to the Halash family, as well as his extended hockey families in Topeka and at Detroit Catholic Central.