Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton reportedly suffered two transverse process fractures in his lower back in a car accident that overturned his pickup truck early Tuesday afternoon in Charlotte, a spokesman with the Carolina Panthers told reporters.
Cam Newton suffers back injury in car accident
The Panthers quarterback suffered two transverse process fractures in his lower back, similar to the injury that kept Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo out one week in November.
The injury may be similar to what Tony Romo is playing with this season. Romo sat out a Nov. 2 bout against the Arizona Cardinals after suffering two transverse process fractures in his back in Week 8. He was able to return in Week 10 and play well.
Charlie Dayton was the Panthers’ spokesman. He said he did not receive an indication that Newton would require surgery. Via USA Today:
Dayton declined to speculate as to whether Newton’s back injury would force him to miss playing time.
“Right now, we’ve thought about Cam’s well being and hopefully the well being of someone else in the other car who was injured,” Dayton said. “Just hope that they’re all OK. We haven’t gone there.”
Newton will still be held overnight at a hospital for observation. The Carolina Panthers released a statement earlier in the afternoon saying that Newton is in “fair” condition. According to the Charlotte Observer’s Joe Person, Newton did not suffer any internal injuries, and is not believed to have suffered any head injuries.
Police told reporters that Newton was placed on a stretcher and taken to the hospital as a precautionary method. Authorities also said that he was communicating and asked not to be taken to the hospital after the accident.
Another car was involved in the accident. Newton was driving his truck, and was the only person in the vehicle. The second car had a passenger along with the driver. Early reports did not include an update on the status of the other car’s driver, but police officers told media on the scene that they did not believe anyone involved in the accident to be seriously injured.
Cam Newton Accident
The accident occurred on the Church Street bridge over I-277 in uptown Charlotte, in front of Bank of American Stadium, at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET. The other car involved in the accident was reportedly crossing the street when Newton’s truck hit it. Additional details about the accident were not available.
The Panthers said that they were aware of Newton’s accident and that the quarterback had not suffered any “life-threatening” injuries shortly after it happened. The team did not comment on his availability to practice or play.
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