Missouri defensive lineman Harold Brantley injured in car wreck

Missouri defensive lineman Harold Brantley was seriously injured Sunday when the car he was driving overturned in an accident on U.S. 63 in Columbia, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Brantley, who started 10 games as a sophomore last season, was taken by ambulance to University Hospital and with his passenger, MU women’s basketball player Maddie Stock.

Neither Brantley nor Stock, who are both 21, were wearing seat belts, according to the highway patrol crash report.

Brantley was admitted to the hospital and was listed in serious condition, according to University Hospital.

Stock had minor injuries and was also taken by ambulance to University Hospital, according to the crash report. She was listed in good condition by the hospital.

The crash occurred at 1:55 p.m. on southbound U.S. 63 near the KOMU television studios.

The report says Brantley was driving the 2000 Chrysler Concorde, which slid off the left side of the road. He overcorrected, causing the vehicle to slide off the right side of the road, strike a guardrail and overturn.

Brantley was the most accomplished defensive lineman on Missouri’s roster this spring after Markus Golden, Matt Hoch and Lucas Vincent were graduated and Shane Ray declared for the NFL Draft with a year of eligibility remaining.

Athlon Sports listed Brantley — who finished with 54 tackles, including seven for a loss, and also had five sacks, two blocked kicks and seven quarterback hurries — on its preseason All-SEC second team, while Phil Steele pegged Brantley as a 2015 third-team performer.

Brantley, a 6-foot-3 and 280-pound athlete with the strength and speed to play anywhere on defensive line, primarily played on the interior, but he was versatile enough to bounce outside when needed.

Juniors Josh Augusta and Rickey Hatley as well as sophomore Charles Harris also saw significant time in Missouri’s defensive line rotation, but Brantley was unquestionably the top returning player for defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski.

The Tigers dismissed defensive end Marcus Loud in May, who also saw significant time in a reserve role last season, which further depleted the depth at that position.

This story was originally published June 21, 2015 at 5:02 PM with the headline "Missouri defensive lineman Harold Brantley injured in car wreck."