Former star Major League Baseball pitcher Roy Halladay, who was 40 years old and a two-time Cy Young award winner, recently was killed when his plane crashed in the Gulf of Mexico on November 7th. Halladay was an eight-time MLB All Star who spent twelve seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays followed by four seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. According to a report from the Chicago Tribune, Halladay’s plane went down near noon off the coast of Pasco County, Florida. Halladay was the only one in the plane at the time it went down, according to a news briefing about the crash given shortly afterwards by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office marine unit responded immediately to a call regarding the downed plane and discovered Halladay’s body in shallow water near some mangroves. No survivors were found from the crash.
Previous News Regarding Halladay and His Flying
Halladay, whose MLB contract had prevented him from flying, had been a pilot and a plane enthusiast for some time since his recent retirement from professional baseball. ICON aircraft, the manufacturer of the plane Halladay was flying when he was killed, had posted a video with Halladay trying out a new plane. The video showed Halladay taking delivery of a new ICON A5, a two-seat “light-sport aircraft” that can land on water. In the video, Halladay confirmed the terms of his baseball contract prevented him from having a pilot’s license while playing, and that his wife was originally against the idea of him getting the aircraft. Halladay also had recently been in the news for his daring acrobatics in the air. According to another report, this one from celebrity media outlet TMZ, videos have recently surfaced that show Halladay performing aerial maneuvers over the water in his plane only two weeks before the crash. One video even appears to show Halladay attempting a water landing. The bystander who took the video posted on TMZ actually told the New York Daily News he originally started recording Halladay’s aerial maneuvers because Halladay’s plane was going so close to the water at such a high rate of speed that he thought it was going to crash. In response to the TMZ report, Halladay’s family issued a statement saying he was not a reckless flyer.
Contact Lytal Reiter if You Are Injured in an Aviation Accident
Although no one besides former Phillies star pitcher Roy Halladay was injured or killed in the pitcher’s recent plane crash off the West Coast of Florida, aviation accidents often result in tragedies in which passengers in the plane are either killed or injured due to either the pilot’s negligence or the failure of malfunctioning of the plane’s control systems. If you or a loved one have been injured in an aviation accident, an experienced West Palm Beach accident attorney at the law firm of Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath may be able to help with your claim. We help aviation accident victims recover money for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and future medical care. Please call an experienced and caring West Palm Beach aviation accident attorney from the law offices of Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath today and schedule a free consultation.
