Initial Reaction to the Charlie Davies Accident
Young US Hopeful Charlie Davies (credit PicApp.com)
I try to choose my words carefully, so for those who read this, please take note of the first two words in the title: “Initial Reaction”. This article is exactly what the title says it is; an initial reaction to the Charlie Davies car accident which occurred at 3:15 a.m. on the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Virginia Tuesday morning. There were three people in the one vehicle accident where one passenger, Ashley J. Roberta, died. Charlie Davies and the undisclosed driver of the vehicle were taken to the Washington Hospital Center Medstar. Charlie was listed in Serious Condition for most of Tuesday and only after a long surgery was he said to be recovering.
As of now, there has only been minimal information released on the accident. Davies’ family was said to arrive from California around 9 p.m. EST and it was only with their approval that any more information would be released. The USMNT was in Washington to play their World Cup Qualifying match against Costa Rica. Their coach, Bob Bradley was emotionally affected and hurt by the incident involving the US player. “As a team we were saddened to learn this news,” Bradley told reporters. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Charlie and Charlie’s family as well as the people in the car and the families of the others involved.”
Grant Wahl was keeping all US Soccer supporters in the loop with his consistent postings on Twitter. His latest report tells us that there was a titanium rod inserted into the right femur/tibia of Davies, and his injuries will require 6-12 months to heal, along with extensive physical therapy after that. The chances for Davies to play again at a high level of competition in the future are promising. Usually, most athletes never fully recover from an accident like this. Whether physically hindered or emotionally distracted, most professional athletes have a hard time ever overcoming something this devastating to their career. You have to imagine that along with the physical trauma and rehabilitation that Charlie faces in the next year, but he also has to deal with the memory of the car wreck that left one of the three passengers in the vehicle dead. Charlie’s mother is grateful for her son’s life but recognizes the severity and seriousness of the situation. “It shows you how quickly things can happen and your life can change overnight. It’s heartbreaking for everybody involved.”
So there is still so much to sort out in this whole situation. We still don’t have the drivers name and we don’t have the specifics for the accident. We do know that Charlie was out past the USMNT curfew so there is one broken rule. We don’t know whether or not there was alcohol involved although I would highly doubt that a USMNT player would be out that late on the piss the day before a World Cup Qualifier (granted, I know that we have already qualified). I began to really watch Charlie this summer in the Confederations Cup where his speed and ability to spread play helped take the US to a second place finish, getting out of their group that including Brazil and Italy, as well as a strong Egyptian team. I still have the games on my DVR. This accident changes a lot and sets back the US team as they prepare to enter the World Cup cycle. That is just another dream that may be dashed for the young Striker. Playing at Sochaux will also have to be put on pause for now. All I can say is that my thoughts and prayers are with all those who were involved in this accident, and lets all hope that an accident is all it was.
Promising US Talent Abroad (credit fotbolldirekt.se)
