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Royals Pitcher Yordano Ventura Died in a Tragic Car Accident

Ventura was only 25 years old.
Photo by Rick Osentoski—USA TODAY Sports

Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura was killed in a fatal car accident in his home country of the Dominican Republic in the early hours of Sunday morning, the Royals confirmed in a statement. Ventura was only 25 years old.

Ventura's death comes on the heels of the death of Andy Marte, a former major leaguer, in a separate car accident last night—also in the Dominican Republic.

As VICE Sports noted in a piece written in 2014, Latin American players are particularly prone to car accidents—multimillion dollar contracts, fast sports cars, and poorly maintained roads make for a lethal combination. Players from the Dominican Republic—where 1 in 480 people are estimated to die in car accident-related incidents—are particularly at risk.

As of yet, the causes of the car accident are unknown, though graphic images have emerged from the crash.

In the wake of Jose Fernandez's tragic death in a boating accident in September of last year, Ventura posted the following photo of Fernandez's funeral, along with the phrase, "Time is the most precious treasure we have."

Over Ventura's four-year career, he tallied 93 major league starts, one relief appearance, and held an 3.89 ERA and a 38-31 record.