A college baseball player was killed in an awful accident in Harrisburg
A19-year-old collegiate baseball player lost his life after a makeshift wooden dugout collapsed on him in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It happened on Monday, and authorities have determined that a catastrophic head injury was the cause of death.
Teammates and friends of 19-year-old Angel Mercado-Ocasio say they're devastated by his death.
— Tom Lehman (@TomLehmanWGAL) May 24, 2023
The Harrisburg baseball player died late last night from a traumatic head injury suffered when a dugout he was helping to disassemble at a city park collapsed on him. @WGAL pic.twitter.com/jo6a8N5IOp
Central Penn College lost a promising athlete and student in Angel Mercado-Ocasio. ABC 27 News has reported that Mercado-Ocasio’s coach, Gerardo Diaz, did CPR for more than three minutes. The young player miraculously came to before he was taken to the hospital. Mercado-Ocasio, despite his injuries, fought valiantly for two days before finally passing away.
The sad incident occurred as Mercado-Ocasio and his Harrisburg Youth International League teammates dismantled a temporary dugout during a game at 7th and Radnor Sports Park. This incident has nothing to do with the baseball team at Central Penn.
Another person, who has not been named, was hurt in the event. According to The Kansas City Star, their prognosis is currently unknown.
The dugouts were dismantled after it was discovered that they had been built without the proper paperwork. Despite having permission to use the baseball field, ABC 27 News reveals that the dugouts were not built in accordance with regulations. Without the required permits, city officials had ordered the team to remove the structures.
The Central Penn Baseball Head Coach sat down with me in an exclusive interview to talk about his freshman infielder Angel Mercado-Ocasio, who died Tuesday night after a tragic accident. Mercado-Ocasio had just wrapped up his freshman year with the Knights earlier this month. pic.twitter.com/wC6b9bVt3Z
— elisepersontv (@elisepersontv) May 25, 2023
Coach Diaz gave an emotional interview to Fox 43 in which he apologized for what had happened. He revealed that the sportsmen were acting playfully as the dugouts were being dismantled. He tried his best to protect them, yet disaster nevertheless befell them. Diaz admits fault for the collision and understands the repercussions of disobeying local regulations.
Director of communications Matt Maisel indicated that the city of Harrisburg had no intention of taking legal action against the players or coach. The Central Penn College community continues to be the primary focus as they mourn this tragic loss.