Blake Crutsinger, an assistant coach at Ponder High School in Texas, was struck in the head during a state competition on Saturday, May 2
Credit: GoFundMe
NEED TO KNOW
- A Texas track coach was struck in the head by a shot put during a meet over the weekend
- Blake Crutsinger is in the ICU after the freak accident that happened in Tyler, Texas
- The Ponder High School assistant coach suffered a skull fracture and brain swelling
A high school track coach in Texas is in the intensive care unit after he was hit in the head with a shot put at a state competition over the weekend.
Ponder ISD assistant coach Blake Crutsinger was struck by the shot put during the Region II-3A state University Interscholastic League (UIL) competition in Tyler on Saturday, May 2, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle and NBC affiliate KXAS-TV.
Hours after the “freak accident,” Blake’s wife, Leslie Crutsinger shared in a post on Facebook that her husband suffered a skull fracture and brain swelling.
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“Thank you to everyone who has been praying for Blake and sending messages today,” Leslie wrote, while also urging compassion toward the athlete who threw the shot put.
"Also please pray for the young man from the other school who is taking this accident very hard!" she said.
Leslie later thanked those who were onsite for their immediate response after the shocking accident.
“The term 'coaching family' is a real thing!” she wrote. “The quick actions of the coaches, trainers, and any medical staff that helped at the school and the quick response of the ambulance was a game changer in Blake’s prognosis. The adults and athletes who were there and witnessed what happened were shook to say the least.”
Crutsinger, who also serves as an assistant football coach at Ponder High School, underwent surgery on Monday, May 4 to reduce the swelling in his brain, according to his wife, who joked that she expects her husband to wear “even more ball caps in his future” due to the extent of his scar.
“For the long term plan, he will be in ICU until he can have the flap put back on,” she wrote in a post. “This will be a minimum of 2-4 weeks but could easily be longer. He will then be transferred to inpatient rehab most likely at Baylor in Dallas.”
Amid his hospitalization, the Ponder community, about 60 miles northwest of Dallas, has united in a show of support for the beloved coach.
"Our hearts and thoughts are with Coach Crutsinger and his family during this time,” Ponder ISD Superintendent Dr. James Hill said. “We are in constant prayer for them and ask that you join us in praying for complete healing and a full recovery.”
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