Red Sox prospect Steen injured in car crash
Red Sox Minor Leaguer Kevin Steen is in critical condition at a Florida hospital after his SUV was hit head-on in a deadly crash near Fort Myers on Wednesday night.Steen, 20, was hit by another driver who veered off Lee Boulevard in Lehigh Acres, Florida, and crashed into Steen's white
Red Sox Minor Leaguer
Steen, 20, was hit by another driver who veered off Lee Boulevard in Lehigh Acres, Florida, and crashed into Steen's white Cadillac Escalade just before midnight, according to police. The other driver died at the scene, and Steen was rushed to Lee Memorial Hospital.
Florida Highway Patrol did not release the name of the driver who was killed, pending notification of the driver's family. Police said the driver was in a 2002 Dodge Neon and it was unknown if alcohol was a factor.
"The thoughts and prayers of the entire Red Sox organization are with Minor League player Kevin Steen, who sustained serious injuries in a car accident in Florida last night," the Red Sox said in a statement. "The club will update his condition at the appropriate time."
According to the Florida Highway Patrol's Fort Myers division, the driver of the Dodge was traveling eastbound in the outside lane of Lee Boulevard, west of Lee Court, when their car "drove off the roadway" before coming back, crossing all lanes of traffic and hitting the center median. The car "went airborne" and impacted the front of Steen's SUV, which was traveling westbound around 11:46 p.m. The Dodge was "engulfed in flames," according to the incident report provided by police.
Steen's injuries were listed as "critical" in the report, which said he was wearing a seat belt. Images of Steen's SUV at the scene were captured by Fox 4 News (below) and show the front-end damage from the collision.
Steen has not appeared in a Minor League game yet this season and was likely at extended spring training in Fort Myers, where Boston has a training complex.
He was selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of the 2014 Draft out of Oak Ridge High School in Tennessee and went 3-5 with a 5.37 ERA in 14 starts last year with Class A Short Season Lowell, striking out 41 in 67 innings. In three Minor League seasons, the 6-foot-1 right-hander is 5-8 with a 4.16 ERA in 30 games, 26 of which were starts.
"Kevin is a beloved member of our Lowell Spinners family and we would like to wish him a safe and speedy recovery," Spinners general manager Shawn Smith said in a statement released by the team. "Not only is he a fan-favorite here at LeLacheur Park, he has also over the past two seasons grown close to the members of our front office staff and our families. We ask that everyone please keep Kevin and his family in their thoughts and prayers."
The Tennessee native was a two-sport athlete in high school, where he played baseball and basketball. He committed to play baseball at the University of Tennessee before signing with the Red Sox.
Danny Wild is an editor for MiLB.com. Follow his MLBlog column, Minoring in Twitter.