Oscar Taveras Killed in Dominican Republic Car Crash

St. Louis Cardinals rookie outfielder Oscar Taveras was killed in a car crash in his native Domincan Republic on Oct. 26. He was just 22 years old.

St. Louis Cardinals rookie outfielder Oscar Taveras was killed in a car crash in his native Dominican Republic on Oct. 26. 

Taveras‘ girlfriend, 18-year-old Edilia Arevalo, also perished in the accident. He was just 22 years old, per ESPNDeportes.com’s Enrique Rojas (page translated to English):

“The young outfielder St. Louis, Oscar Taveras, and a person who accompanied him, died in a car accident on Sunday near the home of the player in Puerto Plata in the northern Dominican Republic.

“The information was confirmed to ESPNDeportes.com by Colonel James Matthew Carpenter, a spokesman for the Dominican National Police, by telephone. Matthew Carpenter said Taveras moved to Sosua Jamao when his car crashed, possibly as a result of heavy rain falling around the place. 

“Relatives and related Taveras aso confirmed his death and a woman with him.

“‘It’s terrible what happened, we’re talking about a guy who was just starting his life. Terrible, terrible news,’ said Matthew Carpenter to ESPNdeportes.com.

We mourn the passing of Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras. http://t.co/fCuSK3nB9n pic.twitter.com/0USk5vzaXF— MLB (@MLB) October 27, 2014

“Taveras, 22, began they year as the number one prospect in the system development Cardinals and Major League debut on /4/31. He batted .239 with three homers and 22 RBIs in 80 games in the regular season and 7-3 with a home run in the postseason.

“The boy was taking a few days off before reporting to the Cibao Eagles of Dominican Baseball. He was scheduled to begin in 2015 as one of the gardeners San Luis holders.”  

An Oct. 26 ESPN update also confirmed the news of Taveras’ passing:

“St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Oscar Taveras, one of the team’s brightest young stars, died in an automobile crash in his native Dominican Republic Sunday. He was 22. 

“The crash happened on a highway between the beaches of Sosua and Cabarete in Puerto Plata, about 215 miles north of the capital of Santo Domingo.

“Tavares’ death was confirmed by his agent, Brian Mejia, and a spokesman for the Dominican National Police.

“Angel Ovalles, the Cardinals’ representative in the Carribean country, said late Sunday that Taveras was driving the car along with a young woman when it went off the road.

“ABC News confirmed with the Dominican National Police that Taveras’ girlfriend also died in the accident.

“Erico Rosario, one of Taveras’ representatives, also confirmed his death.

“‘He was killed in an accident,’ Rosario said, weeping.

“Taveras made his major league debut this year. He homered in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Giants, the only game in the series that the Cardinals won. He had three hits in seven plate appearances in the postseason.

“The Cardinals called up Taveras on /4/31 of this season, and he homered in his first game. He encountered typcial rookie struggles, however, and finished the season with a .239 batting average, three homers and 22 RBIs in 248 plate appearances.

“‘I think he can be a star,’ manager Mike Matheny said last Monday at his season-ending press conference. ‘He proved that at times. Right to the end, he was very, very much into the competition. Yes, he wanted to be the guy out there every day. You see some things offensively that absolutely excite you.'”  

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