Roethlisberger seriously injured in motorcycle crash
Roethlisberger seriously injured in motorcycle crash
By JOE MANDAK, Associated Press Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Steelers star Ben Roethlisberger, the youngest quarterback to lead a team to the Super Bowl championship, was badly hurt in a motorcycle crash Monday and undergoing surgery. The extent of his injuries was not known.
Roethlisberger was in serious but stable condition, said Dr. Larry Jones, chief of trauma at Mercy Hospital.
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"He was talking to me before he left for the operating room," Jones said. "He's coherent. He's making sense. He knows what happened. He knows where he is. From that standpoint, he's very stable."
The 24-year-old Roethlisberger likes to ride without a helmet, a habit that once prompted a lecture from Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher. It was not known whether Roethlisberger was wearing a helmet when he crashed.
The accident happened at an intersection at the edge of downtown at about 11:30 a.m. and a pool of blood was still visible there by early afternoon. A silver Chrysler New Yorker with damage to the front passenger fender was removed and Roethlisberger's black bike was loaded onto a flatbed truck.
Police spokesman Lt. Kevin Kraus said police and homicide units were investigating the crash, a standard practice when there is an accident with critical injuries. He gave no details on whether anyone else was hurt.
In only his second year in the NFL, Roethlisberger helped guide the Steelers to the Super Bowl title in February at age 23.
Several teammates, including backup quarterback Charlie Batch, linebacker Joey Porter and safety Mike Logan, arrived at the hospital emergency room but did not comment.
The team planned to issue a statement later Monday, but no one from the team would be made available, Steelers spokesman Dave Lockett said.
Some fans also gathered at the hospital, including Juanita Clark, who sells Steelers' paraphernalia, and her daughter.
"I just feel like he's a family member," Loretta Clark said.
Calls to Roethlisberger's agent, Leigh Steinberg, were not immediately returned.
Roethlisberger has said in the past that he prefers not to wear a helmet when riding his motorcycle. He has pointed out Pennsylvania's state law requiring helmets to be worn was repealed in September 2003.
In May 2005, Cowher warned him about safe riding after Cleveland tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. was injured in a motorcycle accident. Winslow tore knee ligaments and was lost for the season.
"He talked about being a risk-taker and I'm not really a risk-taker. I'm pretty conservative and laid back, but the big thing is to just be careful," Roethlisberger said at the time. "I'll just continue to be careful. I told him we don't ever ride alone, we always ride in a group of people, and I think it makes it even more safe."
Roethlisberger continued to ride after Winslow's accident and that angered Terry Bradshaw, who quarterbacked the Steelers to four Super Bowl victories during the 1970s.
Visiting the Steelers' training camp last summer, Bradshaw remarked: "Ride it when you retire."
) = i guess that means no more girl crying cuz her car got flipped after the super bowl.......
