

























The family of a young San Antonio Spurs fan declared brain-dead after falling from a truck during a post-game celebration said they aren’t giving up hope yet as the teen is still “fighting for his life.”
Jose Luis Rodriguez III, known to loved ones as Joey, suffered a catastrophic head injury and has been in the hospital since Thursday’s accident following the Spurs’ Conference Finals win over the Oklahoma City Thunder to force a game seven.
“I believe in God, and I believe in miracles. I’m trying to hold on for my son, my daughter-in-law, and the rest of the family,” Rodriguez’s paternal grandmother told KSAT as she asked the city to pray for her grandson.
Rodriguez was declared brain dead by doctors after he landed on his head during wild celebrations following the Spurs’ win, which tied the Western Conference finals with the Thunder at 3-3.
The teenager was sitting on the passenger-side window of the vehicle when it hit the curb, and he fell and struck the sidewalk.
“He left blood all over the street,” Rodriguez’s aunt, Yvonne Hudson, told the San Antonio Express-News.
Initially, his parents hadn’t allowed him to take part in the honking celebration on San Antonio’s south side because of the “nonsense” happening on the streets, Hudson added.
But when Rodriguez said a friend’s parent would go with them, they agreed, although in the end, the teenager went solely with pals, Hudson said.
Friends took Rodriguez to a nearby clinic, where he had no pulse for eight minutes before he was transferred to a local trauma center due to the severity of his injuries.
Rodriguez’s family said he is “fighting for his life,” and they are holding out hopes for a recovery.
His grandmother said the teenager’s organs are still functioning despite his critical head injuries.
Hudson said when a family member touched the teen’s foot, his knee twitched, giving them hope, although doctors told them it was just a spinal reflex, not a sign of brain activity.
Police in San Antonio have urged fans to stay safe during celebrations for the playoffs, with rowdy rolling street parties becoming a daily occurrence.
The local tradition dates back to the Spurs’ 1999 NBA title run, and sees thousands of fans routinely fill the streets hanging outside of vehicles, parading on bikes, and even on horses.
“We encourage everyone celebrating to follow traffic laws, stay inside your vehicles, and follow directions from the officers who are there to keep everyone safe,” the San Antonio Police Department said in a statement.
The Spurs went on to complete the turnaround against the Thunder on Saturday, winning the Western Conference title — and setting up an NBA Finals showdown with the Knicks.
Ahead of the start of the finals on Wednesday, even Spurs star Dylan Harper used a news conference to urge fans to behave responsibly.
“I love y’all. Be safe out there in San Antonio,” he said. “I understand y’all are excited, but you got to be safe out there.”
此内容由惯性聚合(RSS阅读器)自动聚合整理,仅供阅读参考。 原文来自 — 版权归原作者所有。