Robert Marve, Jermaine McKenzie and Colin McCarthy were in a Monday morning one-car accident on Interstate-75 South. Marve and his two new teammates were visiting the home of his high school quarterback, Robert Weiner. Marve allowed McKenzie to drive his 2007 Dodge Charger back to campus. McCarthy was riding shotgun with the freshman QB in the right rear seat.
According to Florida Highway Patrol, McKenzie fell asleep at the wheel around midnight. The car veered left, entered the grass median an struck a guard rail. McKenzie awoke, attempted to regain control, overcorrected and lost control.
The report goes on to state that the vehicle traveled across both southbound lanes and rotated clockwise, entered the grass shoulder on the west side of the road and overturned several times before striking a tree. The vehicle stopped flipping and came to an upside rest. The FHP estimated $30,000 in vehicle damage.
Weiner stated that Marve’s left hand (non-throwing hand) was injured and that surgery was scheduled for Monday evening. Regarding McKenzie, his father (John) stated that his son sustained hairline fractures in his neck, but that surgery would not be required. McKenzie was fitted for a neck brace and will not be ready for the start of fall practice on August 4th. McCarthy escaped from the wreck unscathed.
This three-Cane crash is eerily reminiscent of another Miami Football accident in the summer of 2001 when Jarrett Payton, Clinton Portis and Clint Hurtt were in a late July wreck near downtown Miami. The trio his a guardrail on I-95 and while all three were treated at Jackson Memorial for bumps and bruises after being hurled out of the car into traffic.
Ironically, Hurtt was driving Payton’s car just like McKenzie was driving Marve’s.