1958: Campanella and the accident that ended his career

On this day in 1958, Roy Campanella was involved in a career ending car accident.   

This is from the news reports:   

Before dawn, or the morning of January 28, 1958, Roy Campanella was driving home from the liquor store he owned in Harlem. Campanella (or Campy as was known) skidded off the road and hit a telephone poll. 
Campanella was a three-time National League MVP, and not surprisingly, the news of his accident was covered by every major newspaper in the U.S.
Most of the stories acknowledged that the great catcher had been seriously injured, but focused not so much on whether he would live or be permanently paralyzed, but rather on whether or not he could resume playing baseball. 
The Washington Post on the other was more blunt and more accurate than the others. Their headline read,”Campanella’s Career at End After Suffering Broken Neck in Crash.”
On January 31 a tracheotomy was performed on Campanella to relieve congestion that had formed in his lung. 
By the following day, his breathing had improved, but there was no change in his paralysis.
On February 20 the New York Times reported a “pessimistic bulletin” from the community hospital in Glen Cove, NY, where Campanella was being cared for.
 It said “No improvement in the muscle strength of the 36-year old catcher has been apparent since his neck was broken in an automobile accident on January 28. 

And so ended Campy’s career.   He never played again.

The injury happened a few months after the Dodgers had played their last game in Brooklyn.

Campy was selected to The Hall of Fame in 1969.   He died in 1993.