El Paso groundskeeper Jones passes away

El Paso head groundskeeper Nathan Jones died Tuesday from injuries he suffered in a Nov. 29 traffic accident, the team said in a statement Tuesday night. He was 24 years old.

"It is incredibly heartbreaking to lose our head groundskeeper, one of our original first season employees," Chihuahuas general manager Brad Taylor said. "It has been an extremely emotional week, and we share in the sadness and pain the Jones family is enduring right now. We are thankful for the overwhelming outpouring of support both locally and from friends all over our baseball community."

Jones was involved in a minor car accident last Tuesday in El Paso. Upon getting out of his car to inspect the damage of that accident, he was struck by another vehicle and pinned against his truck. Jones was transported to University Medical Center, where he passed away.

"Nate was a special person and a fantastic friend to everyone in our organization, and especially the staff that worked with him," said team president Alan Ledford. "He brought a unique passion to his work and was responsible for creating some wonderful memories for Chihuahuas fans who marvel at the Southwest University Park playing field. We are deeply saddened and will miss Nate immensely."

According to a report from The El Paso Times, Jones' parents and sisters traveled to El Paso to be with the Michigan native. A GoFundMe account had been set up to help with the family's expenses. As of Tuesday night, it had reached $24,785 of its $25,000 goal with contributions from nearly 250 donors, including one on behalf of the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers.

Jones started with the Chihuahuas as the team's assistant head groundskeeper during the club's inaugural season in 2014, taking over the lead role this February. Jones received a Pacific Coast League Presidential Commendation award following the 2016 season.

Prior to joining El Paso, Jones worked as a grounds crew intern with the Milwaukee Brewers. He also had been a member of on-field staffs with his alma mater, Michigan State University, the Class A Dayton Dragons and Great Lakes Loons, according to his LinkedIn profile.