New York Jets defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson, the team’s first-round draft pick in 2011, was treated for “minor injuries” after he was involved in an accident on the Garden State Parkway early Saturday morning in which the car he was driving overturned after striking another vehicle, a police spokesman confirmed.
Wilkerson was transported to a Newark hospital after he crawled out of his car, according to New Jersey Garden State Trooper Christopher Kay, who added that there did not appear to be any other serious injuries suffered by anyone in the car that Wilkerson struck.
Kay said Wilkerson was charged with careless driving and failure to maintain his lane after he struck a Toyota Siena with his 2011 Dodge Challenger, according to the police report. Police responded after being notified of the accident at 4:29 a.m. on Saturday.
Trooper Kay said the police report did not indicate that Wilkerson was driving under the influence. He escaped a potentially tragic result by crawling out from his overturned car, sources said.
“First and foremost, other than the minor injuries, he’s OK and everyone else involved is OK but I do not have a lot of details,” said Chad Wiestling, the agent for Wilkerson.
Wilkerson reported to the Jets team facility Monday and was examined by the team’s medical staff.
A Jets spokesperson said that Wilkerson needed stitches in his forearm after the accident, but that the injury should not interfere with his ability to be ready for training camp. Jets players are due to report on July 26.
The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Wilkerson received significant praise for his performance in the Jets’ offseason program and is expected to make a major contribution this season.
Jets coach Rex Ryan is currently out of the country on vacation, but he was asked about Wilkerson’s improvement as a player earlier this month during the team’s three-day minicamp.
“He’s going to be hard to ignore,” Ryan said. “That’s for sure. The thing that you always look for in a young man, a rookie coming into the league, a lot of times he’ll hit that wall and they’ll do just the opposite. He actually got better as the season went on. He was playing at a super-high level by the end of the season and he’s actually gotten better.”
WRITTEN BY Chris Mortensen | ESPN & FULL STORY HERE
