Former Cubs manager Preston Gomez, now a special assistant to the Angels general manager, was in critical condition at a Palm Springs hospital late Wednesday after being hit by a pick-up truck at a gas station in Blythe, Calif.
Gomez, 84, on his way home from spring training, had stopped at a Chevron station at about 6 a.m. Wednesday morning and told his wife he was going to take a walk to stretch his legs.
According to Detective Sgt. Jeff Wade of the Blythe Police Department, Gomez “went around the pumps into the next aisle and right in front of a large pick-up truck that was driving up to re-fuel.”
Gomez suffered a major head trauma and contusions, officials said.
The driver of the pick-up truck was field-tested for sobriety, and no alcohol was detected, Wade said. The accident is under investigation.
“The [driver of the truck] was [disconsolate],” Wade said. “He was holding Mr. Gomez’s hand while waiting for paramedics to arrive.”
Gomez has spent 64 years in professional baseball, as a player, coach, manager, talent scout and consultant. He spent the past 27 years with the Angels, first as a major league coach and later as a special assistant to the GM.
He was 38-52 with the Cubs in 1980 before being let go. The team finished 64-98.
