BREAKING: Father of Detroit Lions linebacker Steve Longa dies after being struck by SUV

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Detroit Lions Kicking Battle

When the Detroit Lions travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings, they could be without one of their defensive players.

According to a report from LehighValleyLive.comEtienne Longa, the father of Lions linebacker Steve Longa, was struck and killed by an SUV on Thursday morning while he was trying to walk across the road in Lower Mount Bethel Township, Pa.

Long was pronounced dead at Easton Hospital in Wilson Borough on Thursday morning.

From LehighValleyLive.com:

A witness saw Longa but didn’t see evidence of a crash.

“I saw the truck on the side of the road with his flashers on,” she said in an email. “I was waiting for an oncoming utility truck to come past me so I could go around the truck, and when he pulled over, I drove around the truck only to see the driver was on the road, on his back, not moving.

“I was going to stop but the utility guy and three more men from ConAgra came out and two flashing pick-ups … were up the street. … I was stunned to see him lying in the road.”

Steve Longa, who played his college football at Rutgers, did not practice with the Lions on Friday and his status for Sunday’s game against the Vikings is unknown. So far in three games for the Lions, Longa, has a total of one tackle. He spent the entire 2016 season on the practice squad.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Etienne Longa.