The 18-year-old driver who was arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol for a fatal Manatee County hit-and-run was a former minor league catcher with the Atlanta Braves, according to reports.
Jonathan Matos Morales, 18, of Cocoa, Florida, was arrested on charges of vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a crash involving death. The Ford Mustang Morales was driving in the crash was allegedly located at CoolToday Park, the Atlanta Braves’ spring training home in the Sarasota County city of North Port, according to reports.
Morales is currently being held at the Manatee County Jail, records show.
FHP troopers responded to a crash just before 6:30 a.m. on Monday, April 20, on Interstate 75 near the junction for State Road 64 in Manatee County, according to previous reporting.
The crash happened in the southbound lanes at mile marker 220 and involved three vehicles – a dark-colored Ford Mustang, a Chevy Trailblazer SUV and a semi-truck.
In an update Tuesday from FHP, law enforcement said they identified the driver of the 2022 Ford Mustang who caused a semi tractor-trailer to overturn when the Mustang collided with an SUV, pushing the car into the semi-truck’s pathway.
The Trailblazer collided with the semi-truck, redirecting it across the southbound lanes of I-75.
The semi-truck overturned onto its right side and came to a stop partially in the grass median, blocking all three southbound lanes of traffic.
The Mustang stopped momentarily after the collisions before continuing south on I-75, according to the release. Investigators later found and impounded the Mustang and arrested Morales.
There have been about 24,910 hit-and-run crashes in Florida so far in 2026, according to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ crash dashboard. There have also been 49 fatalities from hit-and-run crashes and 4,953 injuries, according to the dashboard.
In Manatee County, there have been about 393 hit-and-run crashes, with three fatalities and 78 injuries.
How was former Atlanta Braves player from Florida caught in fatal hit-and-run?
FHP spokesman Senior Trooper Kenn Watson told ABC7 WWSB that the Braves organization contacted the Highway Patrol on Monday and said Morales’ black Ford Mustang was found with damage to its passenger side at CoolToday Park.
The Atlanta Braves released a statement noting that Morales is no longer a member of the organization.
“We are aware that a player who was formerly in our minor league system is under investigation related to a fatal accident that occurred yesterday in Manatee County. Our organization is cooperating fully with authorities and will not have any further comment at this time. Our condolences go to the loved ones of all who were involved,” according to the statement.
Morales was the FLORIDA TODAY Baseball Player of the Year for the 2024 season.
GoFundMe started by family of semi-truck driver killed in crash
The driver of the Trailblazer was a 63-year-old Palmetto man who sustained minor injuries, while the semi-truck driver was a 34-year-old man from New Smyrna, Florida. The semi-truck driver sustained fatal injuries, according to the release.
A GoFundMe identified the semi-truck driver as being known by the name “Owen.” He was the father of two young children – both under the age of three – with his partner, Kimberly Johnson.
“In an instant, I went from sharing the responsibilities of raising our family to carrying everything on my own,” Johnson states in the GoFundMe’s description. “I am doing everything I can to stay strong for my babies, but the emotional and financial weight of this loss has been overwhelming.”
Donations to the GoFundMe will help the family with daily living expenses, child care and planning a funeral, the description states. The GoFundMe’s goal is set for $10,000, with more than $3,800 raised as of 4:52 p.m. Tuesday.
“Every bit of kindness helps us take one step forward as I work to rebuild a safe and loving future for my children,” the GoFundMe states.
USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA Rapid Response reporter Michelle Spitzer contributed to this story.
Gabriela Szymanowska covers the criminal justice, courts and legal system for the Herald-Tribune. Reach out with a news tip to gszymanowska@gannett.com. Support local journalism by subscribing
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Former Atlanta Braves minor leaguer arrested in fatal Manatee County crash
Reporting by Gabriela Szymanowska, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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