Braves' Rodriguez OK after car crash; wife, children still in hospital
Atlanta Braves utility man Sean Rodriguez and his family survived a serious car crash in Miami on Saturday that involved their vehicle being hit by a stolen police car, the team confirmed to WSVN 7News Miami.
Rodriguez was driving the family's SUV at the time of the accident, according to the television station, and escaped unharmed. His wife, Giselle, and their two children ages 8 and 2, were taken to hospital; Giselle's condition was upgraded to fair on Sunday, while the children remain in serious but stable condition at a Miami children's hospital.
"We are aware that Braves player Sean Rodriguez and his family were involved in a very serious car accident Saturday night in Miami, Fla.," the Braves said in a statement to WSVN. "At this time our thoughts and prayers are with the health and well-being of Sean's family as they look to recover."
Our thoughts and prayers are with the health and well-being of Sean Rodriguez and his family as they recover from a car accident in Miami.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) January 30, 2017
According to police reports, Sean and his family were in their car when it was t-boned by a Miami police cruiser that was stolen from a nearby parking lot; the cruiser then burst into flames upon impact. The man driving the stolen police car was pronounced dead at the scene, while a good Samaritan identified as Pablo rushed to the Rodriguez's aid.
"I went over to the SUV, and I checked on everybody that was there. Everybody was in shock," Pablo told WSVN. "It was a family with a gentleman and his wife and two kids, and we just got them out of the car.
"We opened the door. I took the first child out of the car, put her on the floor, 'cause I wanted to get everybody out."
A third car also became involved in the accident, though that driver was also unharmed.
Sean, 31, spent the last two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates before joining the Braves on a two-year contract earlier this offseason. The nine-year MLB veteran is a native of Miami and still lives in the city.
Sean's injuries are not expected to keep him from reporting to spring training when it begins in a little over two weeks, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. The Braves will be releasing additional details about his condition and health status later in the week, per Bowman.