# Nuggets' JR Smith seriously injured in car accident



## I Own 2 Microwaves (May 30, 2007)

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2899338

MILLSTONE TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- Denver Nuggets player J.R. Smith and another man were seriously injured Saturday when the sport utility vehicle Smith was driving collided with a car.



Smith
Smith and the unidentified passenger were ejected from the SUV in the crash, which occurred around 5:30 p.m. on Stagecoach Road in Millstone Township, said Sgt. Stephen Jones, a state police spokesman.

The passenger -- who had serious head wounds -- was airlifted to Jersey Shore University Hospital in Neptune, while Smith was taken there via ambulance.

Further details on their injuries were not immediately available Saturday night.

Smith's vehicle apparently went through a stop sign, Jones said, and collided with the other car. The driver of that vehicle and two other people in the SUV were injured and taken to CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, but their injuries were not considered serious.

The 21-year-old Smith was a star player at Lakewood High School and St. Benedict's Prep in New Jersey. He averaged 13.0 points in 63 games this season.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press


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## nbanoitall (May 21, 2004)

Dermarr Johnson Jr. Seriously Smith, it doesnt even sound like he had a seat belt on. hopefully he doesnt suffer the same fate as johnson, but it appears the Nuggets are in big time need of a two guard again.


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## melo4life (Jun 5, 2006)

What a stupid thing to do, whoever was driving the vehicle should know better than to speed through a stop sign... hopefully JR gets better cause he is a young guy that could have a lot of talent...


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## Ruff Draft (Nov 21, 2004)

I really hope he wasn't drunk. Don't **** it up kid!


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## Kuskid (Aug 18, 2004)

nbanoitall said:


> Dermarr Johnson Jr. Seriously Smith, it doesnt even sound like he had a seat belt on. hopefully he doesnt suffer the same fate as johnson, but it appears the Nuggets are in big time need of a two guard again.


It seems like once every 3 or 4 threads I'll come in here and be about to post a response only to see you already wrote exactly what I was about to post. Best wishes to JR, the kid's starting to worry me though. Wasn't he at fault when he and Melo got in that wreck on a game day a couple months ago?


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## Sliccat (Oct 16, 2004)

I hope he gets better, but I'm beginning to think JR is an idiot.


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## Sliccat (Oct 16, 2004)

Actually, he was NOT serously injured:



> J.R. Smith, the former St. Benedict's Prep basketball prodigy who recently concluded his third season in the NBA, appeared to escape serious injury yesterday when he was thrown from the SUV he was driving after it collided with another vehicle near his Monmouth County home.
> 
> According to Smith's father, Earl, the 21-year-old was "fine -- he was thrown from the vehicle, but there's no injuries. He was with two friends, coming home from a barber shop."
> 
> ...


http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1181454906234500.xml&coll=1


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## Natey (May 28, 2005)

I hope it doesnt effect his playing abbilities because he could be some nice bait in a trade.


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## darth-horax (Nov 21, 2005)

He wasn't driving, and they say he'll be fine for the season...at least according to the Denver Post.


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## soonerterp (Nov 13, 2005)

Smith's passenger died

Things may have just gotten pretty rough for JR.



> Andre Bell, 21, was sitting in the back seat of the vehicle Smith was driving when it went through a stop sign, collided with another car and flipped over at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in Millstone Township.
> 
> Bell, who was in a coma, died from head injuries at 6 p.m. at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, said state police spokesman Sgt. Stephen Jones.





> Smith has been issued two traffic tickets for failure to stop at stop sign and improper passing, Jones said. Both carry fines, though the amount was not immediately available.


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## JuX (Oct 11, 2005)

darth-horax said:


> He wasn't driving, and they say he'll be fine for the season...at least according to the Denver Post.


How did he NOT be driving? It clearly states that he was the driver at the time of accident. He might be charged for vehicular manslaughter or what so after his friend/passenger died yesterday.


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## darth-horax (Nov 21, 2005)

According to the Denverpost yesterday (before the passenger died) it was stated that he was in teh backseat with his friend, and that a female was driving his car.

Details would obviously be sketchy until lawyers put out official announcements and such, so chill out.

Looks like JR will be the only Nugget to take a cab to the arena, assuming he can play this year. They say his left shoulder is injured, but he'll be ok. However, if he is charged adn sentenced, well...that's another thing altogether.


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

Since the passenger died, I wouldn't be surprised to see criminal charges brought against Smith.


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## Your Answer (Jul 13, 2005)

mediocre man said:


> Since the passenger died, I wouldn't be surprised to see criminal charges brought against Smith.


If by criminal charges you mean failure to stop and illegal passing then yes, but if your talking something along the lines of Vehichular manslaughter I highly doubt it. If he would of killed the driver of the other car then yah maybe. But they dont often charge you with that when someone in your own car dies they prolly figure you suffered enough with a close passing. Maybe they will Im just saying Id be highly suprised


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## darth-horax (Nov 21, 2005)

I wonder if he passed on the right? I mean, in NJ it's very commonplace to see people passing on the shoulder of roads...especially since most roads out there are only one lane each direction. They're called "Jersey Jukes." 

Since his license has been taken away 5 times this past year (27 points off license) he NEEDS to ride the bus. He's more dangerous behind the wheel than at the 3 point line.


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## ddmartina (Jun 30, 2006)

I worked in the Ocean County NJ Prosecutor's Office for three years and I can't imagine the driver of the vehicle, whether it was Smith or someone else, not being charged with Vehicular Homicide. Under NJ law it's all but guaranteed if a driver runs a stop sign and a death results, the driver will be held responsible for the death. An on-duty State Trooper involved in a high speed pursuit last September was charged with Vehicular Homocide when he ran a stop sign and hit a minivan resulting in a death. In NJ Vehicular Homicide is second degree felony and carries a maximum 10 years in prison if convicted.


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