MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. – A former Atlanta Braves minor league baseball player who made a name for himself at Rockledge High School is accused of causing a fatal crash on I-75 in Manatee County and fleeing the area.
Jonathan Matos Morales, 18, was arrested Tuesday for the Monday morning crash, which happened in the area of State Road 64 in the southbound lanes
The Florida Highway Patrol says Matos Morales was driving recklessly when his Ford Mustang collided with a Chevy SUV, causing it to drive into the path of a semi tractor-trailer.
FHP says the impact caused the semi to cross traffic, overturn and stop across all three southbound lanes of I-75.
The driver of the semi, a 34-year-old man from New Smyrna Beach, was killed. The driver of the SUV suffered minor injuries.
FHP says Matos Morales stopped briefly after the collisions, then fled south on I-75.
FHP says the Atlanta Braves organization cooperated fully with them in bringing Matos Morales in.
A spokesperson from the Braves provided the following statement Tuesday:
“We are aware that a player who was formerly in our minor league system is under investigation related to a fatal accident that occurred yesterday in Manatee County. Our organization is cooperating fully with authorities and will not have any further comment at this time. Our condolences go to the loved ones of all who were involved.”
Atlanta Braves
Matos Morales was booked into the Manatee County Jail on charges of vehicular homicide and leaving a crash scene involving death.
A judge on Tuesday gave Matos Morales a $200,000 bond. He was told he could not drive, would be on supervised release, could travel freely in Florida but could not leave the state, and had to surrender his passport.
At Matos’ parents’ house in Brevard County, Trenton Miller told your Rockledge Community Correspondent James Sparvero he always heard his neighbor and his brothers practicing in the backyard.
“Especially, being that young, it’s like you’ve got your whole life ahead of you,” Miller said. “So, it’s unfortunate.”