A young New Jersey baseball star who just signed his first professional contract has tragically died at the age of 22 following a car crash in North Carolina.
Nick Danbrowney was killed in a wreck on August 18 in the town of Corolla in the northern stretch of the Outer Banks.
The crash happened after midnight. Danbrowney was the passenger in a 2023 Ford Explorer being driven by 65-year-old Rosario Edgar, according to ABC 13 News.
Edgar was traveling at a high rate of speed when the SUV veered off the road, struck an embankment and overturned multiple times before coming to a rest.
Danbrowney was not wearing his seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Edgar was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
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Pro baseball player Nick Danbrowney was killed in a car crash in North Carolina on Sunday
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Danbrowney just recently signed his first professional contract in the minor leagues
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Danbrowney’s family. At the time of publishing, over $34,600 had been raised.
Danbrowney was a star in high school at Barnegat before becoming the all-time leader in strikeouts at Ramapo College.
He put up 225 career strikeouts for the Roadrunners – including 72 this past season.
After leaving college, he signed a professional contract in the independent Pecos League – inking a deal with the Bakersfield Train Robbers in California.
He posted 32 strikeouts across 21.2 innings in the regular season for Bakersfield.
‘I’m numb,’ said Train Robbers Manager Bill Rogan in a press release. ‘Our entire team is devastated. Even though we went our separate ways after the season, we’re still a close knit group.
‘We’re having trouble dealing with this. Nick was a gentleman off the field and a terrific pitcher on the mound with a bright future. We loved Nick and will never forget him.’
