Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura died Sunday in a fatal car accident in his native Dominican Republic. While an investigation into the crash and Ventura's subsequent death are ongoing, some details are beginning to emerge. Here's an excerpt from Rustin Dodd's piece on the crash in the Kansas City Star:
Ventura was not wearing his seat belt and was thrown from his white Jeep after losing control on a mountainous stretch of highway, [Royals GM Dayton] Moore said. He was apparently driving through a thick fog when his tires went off the road and an overcorrection resulted in a rollover and his car resting on its side on the side of the road, according to Moore and eye-witness photographs.
Dodd also adds that there was no sign alcohol at the scene of the crash. As the AP notes, speeding is suspected to be the cause of the accident. Funeral services for Ventura will be held in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday. Moore and manager Ned Yost are among those expected to attend.
Ventura, who was just 25 years of age, boasted one of the most electrifying fastballs in the game today and was expected to anchor the Kansas City rotation for years to come.
Also on Sunday -- and some 50 miles from where Ventura lost his life -- former major-leaguer Andy Marte perished in a car accident.