MIAMI — A pedestrian wasn’t in a crosswalk when Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth hit and killed him with his Bentley, according to a report released Tuesday by police in Miami Beach.
According to the report, the former University of Tennessee standout told officers he flashed his lights to try to warn 59-year-old Mario Reyes, a construction crane operator who was rushing to catch a bus after getting off work around 7:15 a.m. March 14.
Police said Stallworth was driving about 50 mph in a 40 mph zone. They are investigating whether alcohol played a role in the accident. No charges have been filed against Stallworth pending the outcome of blood tests.
A police diagram shows that Reyes was hit in the far left lane of the six-lane MacArthur Causeway — not in a nearby crosswalk. Stallworth stopped a few feet away.
Police also released calls from three people who dialed 911 that morning.
The first, a woman, said, “There’s a man laying in the middle of the road.” The dispatcher asked for her location and a description of the victim.
Then the woman blurted: “He’s dead. He’s dead ... He was just laying in the middle of the road. I think he’s dead.”
None of the callers apparently witnessed the accident. One man, saying he was on his way to work, said he “heard a hit” and then saw Reyes lying in the roadway. A few moments later, a police officer arrived.
Stallworth’s attorney declined comment Tuesday but has said his client is cooperating with police. Stallworth last week released a statement saying he was “grief stricken” over the accident.
Stallworth signed a seven-year, $35 million contract with the Browns before last season but was injured most of the year. He was scheduled to receive a $4.75 million signing bonus the day before the accident. Before that, he played for New England, Philadelphia and New Orleans in the NFL and in college for Tennessee.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
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Comments » 16
smokey_vols writes:
eesh
RoadTrip writes:
It's a bad situation regardless. Hope Donte was clean and everyone affected is at peace.
andy112382#209793 writes:
If it turns out he wasn't drunk, any media outlet that posted that story should issue a full apologize.
Regardless, prayers should go to both Stallworth and his family as well as the family of the victim.
Vol43 writes:
Sad story, but that was funny.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
High dollar attorneys will handle this.
Very few millionaires are in jail,
per Fred Sanford.
Need_2_Know writes:
Which_Doctor, nothing funny about an honest, working man losing his life at the end of his shift. Bad Mojo, you no longer funny.
My first thought as I read this story is, if Dante had time to flash his lights couldn't he have used that time to stop his car? I know, they are not mutually exclusive acts, but it reads like he did one thing and not the other. Don't think that an enterprising attorney won't seize on that statement!
What is up with the Littles, Goodrichs, and Stalworths of this world. Don't they realize that, famous and iconic as they are, they can still ruin lives - theirs and others equally.
Which Doctor, URATURD.
GhostofRobertNeyland writes:
I, for one, think the Witch Doctors RULES!!! I am a firm believer in the Bones. So it is written, so it shall be! Go Vols!
BSweet writes:
Why attack Witch Doctor? His comments weren't tactless. He was only trying to insert a little levity. Even in the darkest times, we all should find time to laugh. The situation itself is not funny, but that doesn't mean we should lose ourselves to the doom and gloom of it.
Thoughts and prayers to all involved. I'm sure both the victim's family and Stallworth's family are anxious for this story to play out. The need for answers can be consuming.
Need_2_Know writes:
Or a cab . . . the hack drivers have to make a living too, ya know.
101st_AIRBORNE_VOL (Inactive) writes:
Ask that Giants WR Steve Smith. He got robbed at gunpoint by the driver he hired outside his home.
UTandETSUfan writes:
First off, leave Doctor alone. For all the depressing news and bad incidents in the world today, a little humor never hurts.
Secondly, until all the facts are in, blaming Stallworth for this is completely baseless and wrong. Maybe instead of "could he have slowed down" you should be saying "maybe he should have used the cross walk"... you know, the boxed in striped block that is there so motorists know where people are crossing.
UTandETSUfan writes:
Why does he have to hire a driver? Because he is successful, he loses the "right" (privilege) to drive that each and every one of us have? Why should he be punished for being successful? What is stupid, stupid, stupid is your jealousy for his success.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
tough deal...the real scary thing here are the people on bicycles on busy streets...you'll be doing 35 or 40 and then suddenly, there is an 'obstacle' doing much less, say 20 mph...scares the sh*t out of you.
bigorange61 writes:
One would think that eleven days would be plenty enough time to get blood test results.
ncvol17 writes:
Hey Witch Doctor, pretty funny. I wish you would scan the KNS death notices and make fun of them as well. I bet if some posters see names they know it would be a lot funnier than some poor dude in south florida. Keep up the gallows humor but localize it so others on here who also found it funny can continue laughing. Oh yeah, all who find it funny, when a loved one dies submit it to the WT so he can spread some leavity and humor for us all on here..my sides are still splitting...keep it up
signed satan's son
BSweet writes:
I guess you're right, our loved ones that have past want us to live on in misery. We should all wallow in self-pity and never laugh again. I guess we're all just horrible human beings.
Grow up, man. Witch Doctor wasn't belittling the man's death and it's highly unlikely that the man's family frequents this site to be offended anyway. Guess what? People die everyday, and life goes on. You can spend your days in misery or you can find things to pull you through. Stop being such a judgemental horse's arse.
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