16 Aug 2004 15:25 UTC
The 54-year-old coach was returning to Prague Monday when his car collided with another vehicle near Karlovy Vary.
Hlinka's death comes just one week before the Czech team is to face Finland in the first round of the Ice Hockey World Cup in the Czech Republic.
Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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Ivan Hlinka, the Czech Republic's national ice hockey team coach, has died after suffering serious injuries in a car accident.
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Hlinka was a player on Czechoslavakia's world champion teams in 1972, 1976 and 1977, and competed in the National Hockey League for several seasons before retiring. He also coached the Czech team to the gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.