Michail Antonio's initial words following a road traffic incident on Saturday afternoon have been disclosed by a dog walker who found him. The West Ham forward was trapped in his Ferrari for nearly an hour before firefighters arrived to cut him free before being airlifted to hospital where he remains in stable condition.
Eyewitnesses have described the 34-year-old's distressed state at the scene but shared the reassuring news that he remained conscious at the time. Samuel Woods, also 34, was driving home after a walk in Epping Forest with his dog when he noticed what he initially believed to be an abandoned car by the roadside.
He pulled over and rushed to help when he saw a man inside who looked “in big trouble”. He told The Sun: “I said to him ‘hello’ to see if anyone was alive. I heard sirens and told him that help was on its way.“
"He was so disorientated. He said, ‘Where am I? What’s going on? What car am I in?’
"The paramedics got there really fast. I couldn’t believe what happened. The car smelt of petrol. I just said, ‘You’ve had an accident’.
"He didn’t reply. He was looking around trying to make sense of what I just said. He was sitting in the passenger side.”
Michail Antonio Undergoes Surgery On A Broken Leg
The veteran striker faces over a year on the sidelines
West Ham United striker Michail Antonio in action
The latest update on Antonio's road to recovery, as per The Guardian, was that the Jamaican international has undergone surgery on a broken leg. It is uncertain whether the 34-year-old’s injuries will compel him to retire from football. However, it is highly likely that Antonio will be sidelined for the remainder of the season, with concerns suggesting that even in the best-case scenario, he could face at least a year of rehabilitation.
A West Ham spokesman said: “West Ham United can confirm Michail Antonio has undergone surgery on a lower limb fracture following a road traffic accident on Saturday afternoon. Michail will continue to be monitored in hospital over the coming days.
“Everyone at the club wishes Michail a speedy recovery and wishes to express its sincere gratitude to the football family at large for the overwhelming support shown since yesterday’s news, as well as extending a heartfelt thank you to the emergency services and first responders who attended to Michail in the immediate aftermath of the incident, and the medical team who continue to aid him in his recovery. The club will provide further updates when appropriate.”
West Ham, set to host Wolves in the Premier League on Monday night, announced on Saturday evening that Antonio was in stable condition, conscious, and able to communicate as Essex police continue to investigate how the crash happened.