Wheaton College student killed by hammer throw wasn't paying attention

An investigation has determined that a Wheaton College student was not paying attention to the hammer throw at a track and field meet last month when he was struck and killed by an errant throw.

The Chicago Tribune (http://trib.in/2qI6F6v ) reports that Wheaton Police Detective Andrew Unlir says Ethan Roser was watching two other volunteers playing with a stick during warmups of the April 22 event at Wheaton College rather than focusing on the hammer throw as he had been instructed.

Uhlir says that Roser had finished his shift marking where the throws landed but had stayed to cover another volunteer when he was hit by the hammer - a steel wire attached to a heavy metal ball.

The 19-year-old Roser was a freshman transfer from the Cincinnati area.