Michael Carter, a fun-loving member of the Penn State men's golf team who was always quick with a smile, died in an automobile accident Wednesday afternoon in northern New Jersey.

The 19-year-old sophomore was traveling on Interstate 80 eastbound when he lost control of his automobile and it flipped three times in Warren County, N.J. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Westfield, N.J., native was taking a mid-week trip to visit his parents and pick up an airplane ticket they had purchased for him. He had plans to travel to Florida to practice golf with a long-time friend.

Carter's father, who is also named Michael, said his son was in good spirits when he talked to his mother just an hour before the accident. He was excited about his upcoming trip and was his normal, up-beat self, he added.

"He was one of the most life-loving, vivacious people that you'd ever meet," Carter's father said.

The young golfer's Penn State coach and teammates seemed to agree with this assessment.

"He was a very bright light on our team and we will always remember how he lived each day to the fullest," Greg Nye, Penn State men's golf team head coach, said.

Teammate Jason Totin said Carter was the most energetic person he knew. "He was the one who brought the life to practice," Totin said.

Nye said that Carter might not have been the largest member of the team, but what he lacked in size he made up for in character.

"Although Mike was not a big person in stature, he brought a very large presence to all he came in contact with," Nye explained.

This presence spilled over into his performance on the golf course as well. "He got a lot out of his little body," Carter's father said of his son.

As a freshman in 2000-01, Carter played in five events, with a low round of 73 during the NCAA East Preview event. In Fall 2000, he tied the then-Penn State Blue Course record with a round of 64 during intrasquad qualifying.

Carter's best finish last year came at Penn State's Rutherford Intercollegiate, as he shot a 224 (74-76-74) to finish tied for 25th. This past fall, he shot a 148 (73-75) at James Madison Invitational.

Nye said Carter was most admired on the golf course for his full swing. "Not only was it techinically correct, but it was graceful and powerful at the same time," he explained.

Fellow Penn State golfer Josh Dawes said Carter had a natural talent for the sport. "He was born with a swing that a lot of players search for their entire lives," he said.

But if the team will remember Carter for his skill, they will also remember him for his sense of humor.

Nye told a story of when the 12-member team split into two groups to play an innersquad match. Both sides developed a theme for their team, and Carter's was the tackiest dress, he said.

Carter showed up to the match donning what Nye described as a "distasteful" orange, flower-patterned shirt, bright pink pants, white shoes and pink socks.

"He basically won the prize that day," Nye joked, adding that the moment was one the team will probably always associate with Carter's memory.

It is this playful nature that Carter's father said he would have people remember about his son. "I want people to celebrate his life because I think that's what he would have wanted," he said.

He said this has been a sad time for him as well as his wife and two daughters, but they are trying to hold on to the happiness his memory brings them.

"It's like he's just not coming home again," he said.

A wake is scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. today at the Higgins Bonner Funeral Home, 582 Springfield Ave., in Westfield, N.J. A funeral mass will be held at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow at the Delbarton School, Mendham Road (old Route 24) in Morristown, N.J.