Former USC fullback dies at 49

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Arthur Hemingway, a former Southern California fullback who became paralyzed when he was hit by a car during football camp of his 1978 freshman season, has died. He was 49.

Hemingway died Thursday at his home in Oceanside, according to a university press release. The cause of his death had not been determined.

Hemingway was walking on a sidewalk near the USC campus on Aug. 23, 1978, when he was struck by a stolen car driven by a 17-year-old fleeing police, according to the university. He suffered severe head and internal injuries, a broken leg and spent four weeks in a coma.

He underwent more than 20 operations, including brain surgery twice. He was left confined to a wheelchair and with slurred speech, but remained active, the university said.

Hemingway spent the early 1990s helping coach football in the San Diego area. He started the Arthur Hemingway Foundation to help disabled students pursue their education.

Hemingway returned to USC at age 30 on a scholarship from USC's "Swim With Mike" Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship Fund. He earned a bachelor's degree in English and a master's in education, according to the university.

Hemingway came to USC from Oceanside High. He was part of USC's recruiting class of 1978 that included Marcus Allen, Chip Banks, Riki Gray Ellison and Roy Foster.

Hemingway is survived by two sisters and a brother.

Funeral services are pending.

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