Miami Heat Star Sued After Reckless Driving Caused Victim’s Leg Amputation
Miami Heat's Haywood Highsmith is facing a lawsuit over a traffic accident that led to another man's partial leg amputation.
Earlier this month, the NBA star was issued a citation for careless driving after his involvement in a late-night car accident. He crashed into a 21-year-old man who was trying to push a disabled vehicle out of traffic, per NBC Sports.
Last Friday, the victim, Alekxei Pino, filed a lawsuit against Highsmith in Florida, per TMZ. He claimed that the basketball player in his 2021 Audi A5 had gone over the roadway's legal speed limit before he crashed into him.
The accident led to Pino's above-the-knee amputation and other significant injuries, per the lawsuit.
Meanwhile, Pino's attorney, Manuel Dobrinksy, issued a statement saying that his client is still in the hospital recovering "with a very long road of rehabilitation ahead of him."
Pino's family has set up a GoFundMe page to raise $100,000 for his "journey to recovery."
According to Duni Pino Jr., the organizer of the fundraiser, Alekxei was on his way home from work when the accident happened.
"He noticed a woman stranded on the side of the road with a broken-down vehicle, less than 10 minutes away from his own residence. Without hesitation, he pulled over to offer assistance. As Alekxei was helping the woman, another car crashed into them, pinning Alekxei between both cars, causing him severe and life-altering injuries," Duni wrote.
As of press time, the page has raised $28,157 from 408 donations.
On Feb. 6, Highsmith was reportedly driving at 45 MPH in a 40 MPH zone when the accident happened. He was heading home after the Miami Heat beat the Orlando Magic at Kaseya Center in Miami.
Based on a crash report obtained by TMZ, the incident happened around 11:20 p.m. The NBA player had told the police that the disabled vehicle did not have its lights on, so he couldn't stop his car in time when he came across it on the street.
The crash report also stated that Highsmith was not driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol when the accident happened but may have been distracted by unknown circumstances.
Meanwhile, the professional athlete's agent, Jerry Dianis, said that the Miami Heat player never left the victim after the crash and waited with him until an ambulance came.
"Haywood immediately rushed to help the person pushing the car who had been injured... and stayed on the scene continuously talking to the injured man, offering words of comfort until an ambulance took him to the hospital."
