DerMarr Johnson seriously injured

[MavsFanFinley]

Johnson sustains serious head injuries in crash

ESPN.com news services

ATLANTA -- Atlanta Hawks forward DerMarr Johnson sustained a serious head injury when his car crashed into a tree and burst into flames early Friday.

Johnson, 22, and two other men were in Johnson's Mercedes just before 5 a.m. when the car crossed the center line and hit the tree. It was not known who was driving and no other cars were involved in the crash, police said.

Johnson was taken to a hospital with head trauma, and his condition was not immediately known. One man had internal injuries and the other only minor injuries, Fulton County police Maj. Wenda Phifer said.

Hawks officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Johnson, a first-round draft pick in 2000 after only one year at Cincinnati, averaged 8.4 points in 72 games last season -- his second with the Hawks.

[Drbio]

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

[MavsFanFinley]

This is terrible.

Reports from the AP have surfaced that he has broke his neck. While it's not life threatening, he most likely will miss the season.

[scooterj5]

found this on slamonline:

I just got off the phone with my man with the Hawks, and here's the latest on the car injury suffered by Hawks guard DerMarr Johnson early this morning:
-- Sometime around 5:00 a.m., Hawks swingman DerMarr Johnson was in a single-car accident on the south side of Atlanta. DerMarr's car, a new Mercedes, crossed the center line of Cascade Road and crashed head-on into a tree, then burst into flames.
-- DerMarr was driving the car, and there were two other passengers in the car with him.
-- Though it is not known for sure, they think DerMarr was on his way home.
-- The car was burned so badly that it was unrecognizable.
-- All of the passengers were tested for sobriety, though results are not available yet. According to the person I talked to, it's likely that a wet road contributed.
-- After the accident, a witness in another car helped DerMarr and his passengers off the ground and took them to the hospital.
-- He is currently in the Atlanta Medical Center (and as I'm typing this, Shareef, Jason Terry, Dion Glover and Ira Newble just showed up at the hospital).
-- According to doctors, DerMarr suffered a "a cervical spine fracture," fracturing the sixth cervical vertebrae.
-- He is not and has not experienced any paralysis. His condition is currently listed as "stable."
-- He is scheduled to go into surgery this afternoon at 3:00 p.m.
-- According to Hawks GM Pete Babcock, "A fraction of an inch one way or the other, and the doctor said it would have been very bad."
-- DerMarr's playing status long term is excellent, his prognosis is excellent, his short term prognosis is excellent.
-- It appears that DerMarr could be released from the hospital by as early as next Tuesday.
-- 2:30 UPDATE -- According to a source, it is likely that DerMarr Johnson will miss the entire 2002-2003 season




--



at least it's better than what i first saw. poor guy [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]