British soccer player Michail Antonio is recovering after being involved in a car accident in Essex, England, which required firefighters to pull him out of the wreckage.
On Saturday, December 7, Essex Police said in a press release that they were called to the scene of a “serious collision” in the town of Epping, northeast of London, just after 12:50 p.m. local time.
Only one vehicle, a Ferrari, was involved in the accident, and police confirmed that the driver was taken to hospital. Essex Fire Service confirmed in a statement to The Guardian that her crews arrived on the scene just after 1:00 p.m., and firefighters discovered that “a man was trapped in his car and they worked to free him until 1:45 p.m.”
West Ham United confirmed that Antonio, 34, was the victim and announced on Saturday that the striker was in a “stable condition”.
Michail Antonio from West Ham United.
Barrington Coombs – UEFA/UEFA via Getty
“Michail is conscious and communicating and is currently under intensive care in a central London hospital,” the team said on Saturday, noting that they would share another update later. “At this difficult time, we kindly ask everyone to respect the privacy of Michail and his family.”
The Guardian also reported that the team issued its update after images purportedly showing a wrecked Ferrari circulated on social media. The vehicle shown in the photos suffered extensive damage, and the paper also states that “there are unconfirmed reports that Antonio was airlifted to [the] hospital.”
The investigation is currently underway, and the police are asking witnesses and anyone with camera footage of the accident to contact them.
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Michail Antonio plays at the King Power Stadium in Leicester, England on December 3, 2024.
Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty
Antonio originally joined Premier League side Nottingham Forest in 2015 and has also played for the Jamaican national team. He played in all 14 games for West Ham this season and has since become the record holder. ESPN reports that in September he became the first West Ham player to record 100 direct goals in the Premier League with 67 goals and 33 assists.
Jamaica head coach Steve McClaren and Michael Ricketts, president of the Jamaica Football Association, expressed their support for Antonio in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.
“On behalf of the entire group of players, support staff and technical staff, I would like to wish Michail a speedy recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are with him at this time,” McClaren wrote.
Ricketts added, “I would like to wish Michail a safe and speedy recovery. At this time, let’s keep him in our prayers as he recovers.”
West Ham are scheduled to play Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday, December 9.
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Source: HIS Education