The details about the car crash that put Los Angeles Angels outfielder Rio Foster on the “critical but stable” list are starting to emerge, and they’re both heartbreaking and gut-wrenchingly familiar.
According to an Athletic report written by Sam Blum, Foster suffered both skull and facial fractures following the accident, which happened in Richland, Washington.
Foster’s mother, Iris Cleveland, provided an update on her son’s condition in a GoFundMe post, saying that Foster has had brain surgery and will need several more procedures in the coming months.
“Rio is the most humble, kind and respectful young man and this is the most unfortunate circumstance,” Cleveland wrote.
“He worked so hard to get to where he is today, and was on fire these past few weeks. Although he’s in this predicament we know that this is something he will come back from, and 10 times stronger.”
The 22-year old Foster, who was playing for the Angels Tri-City affiliate, was ejected from the car during the crash, and the car then flipped and crashed into a pole after failing to negotiate a roundabout. There were three other passengers in the single-car crash, and the driver was 23-year old Ashante Sanders-Jackson, who was cited for three counts of felony vehicular assault.
The Athletic also reported that Sanders-Jackson and Foster were close friends, and according to documents cited by the Tri-City Herald, Sanders-Jackson told investigators that they were drinking at the Daisy Ranch Saloon and headed to an afterparty at Foster’s suggestion. When police arrived at the crash cite, they allegedly detected the odor of alcohol coming from Sanders-Jackson’s breath.
On the field, Foster had earned the Northwest League’s player of the month designation just days before the accident. He was having a career year, posting an .846 OPS over 93 games.
Foster’s mother is hoping to be able to transport her son, a native of Athens, Georgia, back to their home state to continue his recovery. A return to the field is the last thing on the minds of Angels fans, but Cleveland did have one poignant request for them.
“Please, please, please,” she wrote in her post, “keep him in your prayers.”