Dolphins' Norton upgraded to stable condition after having arm amputated

Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Kendrick Norton's football career is over, but friends and family close to the former University of Miami standout have shifted their focus from despair to optimism.

Norton was no longer in critical condition as of Friday, a day after his early Thursday morning car crash that resulted in his left arm being amputated. His health improved to stable condition on Thursday night, a source told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

"It's sinking in ... I'm just glad ma boi's Alive," Malki Kawa, Norton's agent, posted on social media late Thursday following the incident. "I could be helping to plan a funeral right now... Instead, praise God HES ALIVE AND WILL BE FINE ... #prayersup4bignort."

An investigative report following the incident was not yet available on Friday.

Norton's arm was amputated after his 2017 Ford F250 rolled over onto its roof after colliding with a concrete barrier at approximately 1:18 a.m. Thursday on the Dolphin Expressway (State Road 836) westbound ramp, leading to the Palmetto Expressway (State Road 826), according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The vehicle overturned after hitting the barrier, and came to a final rest on its roof.

While Norton, 22, also sustained a head injury, his injuries were considered not life threatening. Paramedics took Norton and a female passenger, who also sustained non-life threatening injuries, to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center in Miami after the incident. — Safid Dean, Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel