Posted at 3:35 PM ET, 10/13/2009
Davies in Serious Accident
Charlie Davies, a starter for the U.S. national soccer team, underwent several hours of surgery for non-life threatening injuries suffered in a fatal auto accident early Tuesday on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, the U.S. Soccer Federation said.
Details of the surgery were not made available, but a USSF spokesman said injuries were "possibly" career-threatening.
The one-car accident occurred around 3:15 a.m. on the southbound lanes of the parkway near the Memorial Bridge. A park police spokesman told reporters that the driver lost control of the vehicle and struck a metal railing. A woman died at the scene. It is unclear whether Davies was the driver or a passenger.
The team learned of the accident late in the morning. Breakfast was optional for the players, so when Davies did not appear, there was no concern. There were no official team functions scheduled until lunch. Coach Bob Bradley addressed the players in a meeting room at the team hotel in Pentagon City.
The U.S. team is in town for a World Cup qualifier Wednesday night at RFK Stadium against Costa Rica. The Americans clinched a Cup berth Saturday night in Honduras and has been based in Washington since Sunday.
Davies, 23, plays for French club Sochaux. He assisted on Conor Casey's first goal in the 3-2 victory in Honduras before being replaced late in the match. Davies, a native of New Hampshire, played at Boston College before turning pro after the 2007 season and signing with Hammarby in Sweden.
"As a team, we were saddened to learn this news," Bradley said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Charlie and Charlie's family as well as the others involved. ... It hit us all hard."
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