Lara seriously hurt

[Elvis]

Lara seriously hurt in auto accident
Motorcycle strikes vehicle driven by Indians reliever
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071125&content_id=2307189&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

CLEVELAND -- Indians pitcher Juan Lara was involved in a serious car accident Saturday night in his native Dominican Republic. Two people died in the accident, and Lara is being tended to in a Dominican hospital.

According to team spokesman Bart Swain, Lara was driving a sports utility vehicle and was stopped at an intersection in San Pedro de Macoris when a motorcycle traveling at a high speed slammed into the vehicle's passenger side. The two people riding the motorcycle died instantly, Swain said.

Lara, 26, was seriously injured in the accident and might need to be transported to the U.S. to have surgery performed. Swain could not provide further details as to the extent of Lara's injuries.

"We are monitoring his status very closely," Swain said, "and he is definitely in our prayers right now."

The accident occurred shortly after a game played by Lara's Winter League team, Estrellas de Oriente, which is based in San Pedro de Macoris.

Lara, a left-handed reliever, was signed by the Indians out of the club's Dominican Academy in 1999 and worked his way up through the club's Minor League system until making his big league debut in 2006. He made one appearance with the Tribe this season and spent most of the year at Triple-A Buffalo.

[AutographCollector]

Oh man, that's not good!
Here's hoping that his recovery is a speedy one! :cap:

[Mattingly]

It's very sad to hear that the two motorcycle riders are no longer with us.

RIP. :(

I do wish Lara a speedy recovery, and that he's still able to continue playing baseball in the future.

[Elvis]

http://mlb.mlb.com/images/2007/11/27/DhCRHy2R.jpg

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071127&content_id=2312724&vkey=hotstove2007&fext=.jsp

CLEVELAND -- Juan Lara suffered a spinal fracture and severe brain trauma in a car accident in the Dominican Republic over the weekend, but the Indians left-hander reportedly showed some signs of improvement Tuesday.

Lara, 26, continues to be monitored closely at the Plaza de la Salud hospital in San Pedro de Macoris. A hospital spokesperson told the Associated Press that doctors had not yet determined whether Lara would have any paralysis as a result of his extensive injuries, which also include two fractured ribs, a perforated lung and a blood clot on the brain.

Lino Diaz, the Indians' director of Latin American operations, has been sent to the Dominican to follow Lara's recovery. He reported to the club Tuesday night that the bleeding on Lara's brain continues to diminish and that the pitcher had some movement in his toes, hands and eyes.

The accident occurred late Saturday night, not long after a Winter League game played by Lara's team, Estrellas de Oriente.

Lara was driving a sport utility vehicle and was stopped at an intersection when a motorcycle traveling at high speed slammed into the driver's side, pinning Lara inside the vehicle and instantly killing both of the riders on the motorcycle. Lara's girlfriend also was in the vehicle and was injured.

One of the more promising relievers in the upper ranks of the Indians' Minor League system and a member of the 40-man roster, Lara pitched in one game for the Tribe this past season, working 1 1/3 innings against the Angels on Sept. 4. He spent the rest of the year at Triple-A Buffalo, where he went 4-3 with a 3.88 ERA and two saves in 52 appearances.

In September 2006, Lara made his big league debut and pitched in nine games for the Indians, posting a 1.80 ERA.