West Ham striker Michail Antonio’s first words after his horrific car crash have been revealed by the man who discovered him at the scene.
The 34-year-old footballer was involved in a single-vehicle collision on Coppice Row just before 1pm, which left him trapped in his silver Ferrari for more than 45 minutes.
The incident required a major emergency response, with fire crews working to free Antonio, who was found disorientated in the passenger seat of his vehicle.
Dog walker Samuel Woods, who discovered Antonio at the scene, revealed the footballer’s first words after the crash.
Michail Antonio was involved in a scary car crash
REUTERS
“He was so disorientated. He said, ‘Where am I? What’s going on? What car am I in?'” Woods told The Sun.
Woods found Antonio unable to comprehend the situation, adding: “I looked at him and thought, ‘He’s in big trouble’.
“I just said, ‘You’ve had an accident’. He didn’t reply. He was looking around trying to make sense of what I just said,” Woods explained.
Fire crews worked for 45 minutes to free Antonio from the wreckage before he was rushed to hospital.
West Ham confirmed in a statement that Antonio had undergone surgery on a lower limb fracture.
Michail Antonio is expected to be out for a year
PA
The club expressed “sincere gratitude to the football family at large for the overwhelming support” and extended thanks to emergency services and first responders.
Essex Fire Service reported they arrived at High Road, Epping, at 1.02pm and successfully freed the trapped footballer by 1.45pm.
Essex Police have launched an investigation into the incident and are calling for witnesses to come forward.
“We were called shortly after 12.50pm on Saturday 7 December to Coppice Row, Epping, following reports of what is believed to be a single vehicle collision involving a Ferrari,” a police spokesperson said.
The Roads Policing Unit is seeking any CCTV, dash cam or other footage related to the crash.
The vehicle has since been recovered from the scene.
Michail Antonio joined West Ham in 2015
Reuters
Antonio remains in hospital where he will continue to be monitored over the coming days, according to West Ham’s latest statement.
The club confirmed the striker was in a stable condition following Saturday night’s accident.
Eyewitness Woods described the immediate aftermath of the crash, noting: “The car smelt of petrol.”
Antonio, who has scored 83 goals in 323 appearances for West Ham since 2015, will now begin his recovery process following successful surgery.
+ There are no comments
Add yours