U.S.

San Diego Padre Killed In Accident

February 15, 2002 / 9:44 AM EST / AP

San Diego Padres outfielder Mike Darr was killed and a minor league pitcher was injured early Friday when the vehicle they were riding in rolled over on an interstate.

Ben Howard, a 23-year-old pitcher who played for San Diego's Class-A and Double-A affiliates last season, was treated at the scene and released, Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Frank Valenzuela said.

Another man in the vehicle — 23-year-old Duane Johnson, of Reno, Nev. — also was killed in the accident.

"He may be affiliated with the team but we are not sure yet," Valenzuela said. "We just know that he's not a player."

Valenzuela said it appeared the accident was alcohol-related.

Darr was good defensively but didn't have much power, hitting just two homers last year. However, both were game-winners in the Padres' last at-bat. He batted .277 with 34 RBIs.

Darr was the Padres' minor league player of the year in 1997 after being obtained from Detroit with another player for second baseman Jody Reed late in spring training that year.

The crash occurred about 2 a.m. MST (4 a.m. EST). The Padres hold spring training in nearby Peoria and Friday was the voluntary reporting date for pitchers and catchers to report.

Valenzuela said Darr was the driver of the vehicle and it appeared the accident was alcohol related. The vehicle apparently drifted into the dirt center median, then the driver overcorrected, Valenzuela said.

It rolled across three lanes of the freeway and crashed through a fence, coming to rest on a frontage road.

Valenzuela said Darr and Johnson were not wearing seat belts and were ejected and killed while Howard was in the back seat and was wearing a seat belt.

Howard, a right-hander who was a second-round pick in the 1997 amateur draft, was 8-2 with a 2.83 ERA with Class A Lake Elsinore and 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA at AA Mobile.

He was named to the California League All-Star team while with Lake Elsinore.