Yordano Ventura/Andy Marte Killed On Same Day

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Max Becker, Sports Editor

In a strange and tragic coincidence, two separate Major League Baseball players died in two separate car accidents, both in the Dominican Republic, and both within hours of each other.

Yordano Ventura, a pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, and crucial player in the 2016 World Series, died when his car flipped and he was thrown from his vehicle. Authorities believe speed may have been a factor in the accident, however it was reported that Ventura was driving through heavy fog at the time of the accident, which could have caused his tires to stray from the road.

Andy Marte, an infielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, and Cleveland Indians, died when his vehicle crashed into a house roughly 95 miles from Santa Domingo. Marte was participating in a winter baseball league for the Las Aguilas Cibaenas.

The Dominican Republic has the highest traffic accident death rate in the Americas at a rate of 29.3 per 100,000 inhabitants, and a similar traffic accident claimed the life of St. Louis outfielder Oscar Taveras in 2014.