In May 2023, Sammy Kosgei, a 37-year-old athlete known for breaking the 25 km world record in 2010, was hit by a car and died in Kenya's Nandi district. The driver of the other vehicle fled the scene after the crash.
The world of basketball was shaken on June 7, 1993, by the tragic passing of Drazen Petrovic, one of Europe's greatest players. After helping Croatia qualify for EuroBasket, Petrovic traveled by car back to Munich with his girlfriend and another friend, instead of flying with the team.
Their high-speed vehicle crashed into a truck on a rainy highway, and Petrovie, who was in the passenger seat, died at the scene. He was just 28 years old.
Fernando Martin, Spain's first NBA player, also died in a car accident on Dec. 3, 1989. At 27, Martin was driving to a Real Madrid game when he lost control of his car on the M-30 ring road in Madrid due to rainy and snowy conditions.
His car lost control after trying to avoid a huge puddle, causing it to enter multiple lanes before crashing into another vehicle in the opposite direction.
The accident took his life and Real Madrid retired his number 10 jersey in his honor.
