CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Members of a Chesterfield soccer league are banding together after one of their players was paralyzed in a car crash in Richmond.
According to Richmond Police, officers responded to the intersection of South Belvidere and Byrd Streets on June 8 at around 2:30 a.m. When they arrived, they found two cars involved in the crash.
The crash involved multiple players for Grove United, a semi-professional soccer team from Chesterfield. One of the players, 20-year-old team captian Santiago Naliato, came out of the crash with severe injuries to his neck and spinal cord.
His teammates Rafael Silverio, Iago Andrade and Gabriel Sa were also in the car at the time of the crash.
“He was in the back, I was in the front seat. So I saw the truck coming, so I got ready for the hit,” Silverio said. “And when we crashed and the car stopped, I was fine. So my first thought was on him.”
After the impact, Silverio realized Naliato was seriously hurt.
“He couldn’t move or feel anything,” Silverio said. “But he was breathing and he was talking.”
Naliato is currently in the ICU at VCU Medical after his injuries left him paralyzed.
Now, his teammates are hopeful the community will come together and show their support for someone they say is not only a great player but an all-around great person.
“We are hoping that everybody together can at least pray for him, thinking good things for him and we hope that everything’s gonna be fine,” Andrade said.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing. At this time no charges have been filed. Police believe the crash was caused by a traffic violation, although it is unclear at this point what that violation might be.
