According to reports out of the Dominican Republic, one of the Pirates' top prospects, shortstop Oneil Cruz, was involved in a motorcycle collision Monday that has killed three people, and he is being charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.
The Diario Libre reports that Cruz was in a vehicle that “was traveling ahead in the same direction, supposedly without any type of light and in the left lane,” striking a motorcycle that was holding three people. The crash occurred "after curfew."
Reports came out Tuesday night that prosecutors are charging Cruz for driving under the influence. If found guilty, it could carry a sentence of five years.
Prosecutors claim they have gathered enough evidence to prove the responsibility to Cruz, which will be presented at a hearing Friday. It was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but the defense was given more time to build their case.
Pirates vice president of communication and broadcasting Brian Warecki issued the following statement Monday morning:
“The Pirates are aware of the tragic accident in the Dominican Republic involving Oneil Cruz. We have been in contact with Oneil and he is cooperating fully with the local authorities. We will provide an update as more information becomes available.”
Cruz had recently returned to the Dominican Republic after spending the summer as part of the Pirates’ alternate training site in Altoona, Pa., which let out last week. Ben Cherington said at the time that he expected Cruz to return to the Dominican once camp was through, signaling that he would not be promoted to the major leagues for the final week of the Pirates' regular season.
The 21-year-old, 6-foot-7 power hitter is ranked No. 3 in the Pirates' system by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, behind Ke'Bryan Hayes and 2020 first-round draft pick Nick Gonzales. Cruz reached Class AA Altoona last year and was added to the club's 40-man roster during the offseason.
