Nick Adenhart, Angels Pitcher, Killed In Car Accident

TMZ reports that 22-year-old Los Angeles Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed in a hit-and-run car accident early Thursday morning — just hours after pitching six shutout innings against the Oakland A's:

Cops say someone driving a minivan blew through a red light and hit the Mitsubishi that Adenhart was riding in. Three people were killed in the crash, including Nick.

Cops say the person driving the van fled the scene -- but was later caught and charged with felony hit-and-run.

We're told one of the other men killed in the crash was also affiliated with the Angels organization.

The AP's story on Wednesday's game — in which the A's beat the Angels 6-4 — notes that it was Adenhart's fourth major league start:

Angels rookie Nick Adenhart scattered seven hits over six scoreless innings and escaped a pair of bases-loaded jams. He struck out five and walked three in his fourth major league start.

Adenhart was born in Silver Springs, Maryland on August 24, 1986. The right-handed pitcher graduated from Williamsport High School in Maryland and made his major league debut on May 1, 2008.

Posted by Danny Shea

Comments

[kashifsaeed28]

05:37 PM on 04/12/2009

My condolence­s.

My blog:
http://nex­t-world-wa­r.blogspot­.com

[glockshooter]

02:26 PM on 04/11/2009

That’s the second high profile drunk driving death in the last couple of weeks here in Orange County, CA. First the "The Mask” was racing his Ferrari against some drunken knucklehea­d who’s still in jail on $1 million bond. Now this guy Gallo has got plenty time to contemplat­e the next 50 years in his cell. It’s hard to believe Somali pirates have a better and safer lifestyle than the victims and our lovable drunks.

[Kalamama]

02:11 PM on 04/10/2009

Condolance­s to this poor family for such a tragic loss. There are far too many losses involving alcohol and vehicles every year.

Maybe the brain surgeons coming up with the idea of taxing and taxing and taxing some more on things like tobacco should give some serious thought to taxing the h*ll out of alcohol. THAT could save many lives!! Not as easy to afford and to obtain, therefore less drunks on the road and less senseless deaths every year.

Maybe someone could show me that stats on vehicular deaths involving alcohol each year compared to vehicular deaths involving weed or cigs. You could legalize weed and tax it and help the economy at the same time as helping save lifes.

[Adeyemo]

10:22 AM on 04/10/2009

It is a shame that lives had been lost. We are all blaming the guy for drinking while drunk. What is the responsibi­lity of the beer industry? Was this guy coming from the ballgame? How many beers did he drink? We all see the advertisem­ent of the beer industry and they should be blamed too for selling the drug. Alcohol is a drug!!!!!

[GWHayduke]

11:53 AM on 04/10/2009

No, he was not coming from the ballpark. He had not been at the game.

He was simply a single, completely irresponsi­ble individual­. He was driving drunk, and he had no license - it had been suspended due to a prior DUI. The only thing that would have kept him off the road that night would have been if the minimum sentence for a DUI was twelve months.

[kcmookie]

12:45 PM on 04/10/2009

Adeymo you are a LARGE part of the problem. Instead of looking for someone else to blame, how about a little personal accountabi­lity. This clown decided to drink, then decided to get in his van and drive, and killed 3 people. The beer industry didn't make him drink a beer, they didn't make him get in a vehicle, and they didn't make him go for a drive that resulted in the death of 3 people. Maybe if this clown had been taught to be accountabl­e and responsibl­e for his actions, instead of looking for someone else to blame, maybe, just maybe he would never have gotten in his car. Our society needs to start owning up for our own behavior instead of just looking for someone else to blame.....­..

[naughtykitten]

09:48 AM on 04/10/2009

too young to have to rest in peace.

[DrDemon]

08:02 AM on 04/10/2009

unnnnnNNNN­N believable !

And so many of their family members who's lives have forever changed! soooOO S A D !

[Robert2664]

06:25 AM on 04/10/2009

So sad 3 lives gone and 1 who's life will never be the same.As for the driver of the van he should recive the harshest sentence there is.We must remember that the 4 victims are someones baby.

[InnerThetan]

02:14 AM on 04/10/2009

This kid went to school one hour from my hometown. I know many people from this area and my heart goes out to all of them. As a side note, this entire area, including PA, is a baseball-m­inded region. My boys played little league here, and they groom these kids from a very young age to breathe baseball. Nothing wrong with that, IMO. Peace and RIP to all who lost their lives.

[AudsMom]

01:10 AM on 04/10/2009

What a tragedy!

[AlwaysRightLeftist]

12:08 AM on 04/10/2009

This happened right up the street from me. Sucks :(

[danusgram]

11:57 PM on 04/09/2009

They lock folks up for life with no parole for selling weed but let these people stay on the streets and murder people. This is murder plain and simple and should be tried as such in the courts

[KJLSanDiego]

11:49 PM on 04/09/2009

everyone, please remember that a car is also a very dangerous weapon, and if you have not been trained how to correctly operate this weapon (as so many ppl. in CA have not), please do not use it.
Also, please do not use it if you are under the influence of something.
Driving really needs to be taken more seriously, and, in this state, you don't even have to be l e g a l to get driver's ed and a license, so take the time to get both, for every California­ns sake!

[gascelebrations]

10:29 PM on 04/09/2009

The big lesson here is if you're drinking, don't get behind the f'ing wheel.

[StringOfLights]

10:00 PM on 04/09/2009

Absolutely horrible. It's a tragedy, someone's selfish negligence leading to a senseless death. I live in a college town and I've known so many people hit by poor or drunk (or both) drivers. I've seen so many people run lights, drive with their lights on, speed, and swerve that I decided a couple years ago that it's not worth driving in the early hours of the morning.

[JennieB]

09:11 PM on 04/09/2009

How horribly sad. Three lives lost by a repeat drunk driver. The killer will be going to prison for a very long time, and that's exactly where he belongs.