July 1, 2004
COLCHESTER, Conn. (AP) -- Former NBA center Manute Bol was seriously injured in a car accident, police said.
Bol was riding in a cab Wednesday night when it hit a guardrail and swerved across both lanes before hitting a rock ledge and rolling over, killing the driver and throwing the 7-foot-7-inch Bol from the car. Bol sustained a head injury and was taken by helicopter to Hartford Hospital, state police spokesman J. Paul Vance said.
Bol's condition wasn't released Thursday.
``The doctor said, for his age, he's in extremely good shape and would probably be dead if he wasn't an athlete,'' longtime friend Andrew Kearns said. ``It's going to be a long recovery, unfortunately.''
The accident happened about 30 miles southeast of Bol's home in West Hartford.
He spent 11 seasons in the NBA with four teams, blocking more shots per minute than anyone in league history. He retired in 1995, averaging 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 points during his career Bol played in college at Bridgeport and entered the NBA in 1985 with Washington.
Earlier this year, Bol was charged with hitting his daughter, cutting her lip and interfering with a police officer. He also was injured and needed medical treatment.
In 2002, Bol signed with the Indianapolis Ice of the Central Hockey League to raise money for the people of his war-torn homeland of Sudan. He never stepped on the ice.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_yl...v=ap&type=lgns
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