Heat’s Highsmith cited after auto accident that critically injured man
Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith was driving home Tuesday night after playing the Orlando Magic when he hit a man — partially severing his leg — who was aiding another motorist on the road in West Kendall, officials said.
Highsmith, 27, was given a traffic ticket for careless driving, a crash report read.
Around 11:20 p.m., Nicodemus Jean Baptiste Cantave’s Toyota Forerunner was “disabled” and stopped on Southwest 136th Street near Southwest 138th Avenue, the report read.
Unable to move it, Alekxei
Pino pulled over to help Cantave.
The report reveals that Highsmith was driving on Southwest 136th Street approaching the stopped car, which he told officers did not have its lights on at the time.
While Pino was behind the disabled car, Highsmith collided with him and the Toyota, driving about 45 mph. The speed limit was 40 mph.
A responding MiamiDade police officer said Pino was suffering from a partial amputation to his right leg, a compound fracture to his left leg and a possible broken left arm.
Pino was taken to Jackson South Medical Center in critical condition by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, according to the report.
Highsmith was not under the influence of drugs and alcohol, the report read, nor did he sustain injuries.
In a statement, the Miami Heat said Highsmith was traveling home from Tuesday night’s victory over the Orlando Magic when the crash occured.
“We have been made aware that Highsmith was involved in a car accident heading home from last night’s game,” the Heat said in a statement issued Wednesday before its matchup against the Spurs.
Highsmith went undrafted out of Wheeling University in 2018 and spent the 2020-21 season in the German Basketball Bundesliga before joining the Heat in the middle of the 2021-22 season.
Highsmith, who is set to become a free agent this upcoming summer, is averaging 5.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in 37 games (24 starts) this season.
It’s unclear when Highsmith will return for the Heat after missing Wednesday’s win against the San Antonio Spurs. The team listed Highsmith as out for the game for personal reasons on the injury report.
“Our hearts go out to those who were injured,” the Heat’s statement added. “We will have no further comment at this time.”
Anthony Chiang: 305-376-4991, @Anthony_Chiang Devoun Cetoute: 305-376-2026, @devoun_cetoute
Atlantic
Boston
New York Philadelphia Brooklyn Toronto Southeast
Miami Orlando Atlanta Charlotte Washington Central
Cleveland Milwaukee Indiana Chicago Detroit
Southwest
New Orleans Dallas Houston Memphis San Antonio Northwest
Oklahoma City Minnesota Denver
Utah
Portland Pacific
39 33 30 20 18 W
28 27 22 10 9 W
33 33 29 24 7
W
30 28 23 18 10 W
35 35 35 26 15 W
34 30 29 27 23
12 18 20 30 33
L
24 24 29 40 41
L
16 18 23 27 43
L
21 23 27 33 41
L
16 16 16 26 35
L
16 21 21 25 25
.765 .647 .600 .400 .353
Pct
.538 .529 .431 .200 .180
Pct
.673 .647 .558 .471 .140
Pct
.588 .549 .460 .353 .196
Pct
.686 .686 .686 .500 .300
Pct
.680 .588 .580 .519 .479
FRIDAY
Atlanta at Philadelphia, 7 Washington at Boston, 7:30 Houston at Toronto, 7:30 Charlotte at Milwaukee, 8
Denver at Sacramento, 10
New Orleans at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 THURSDAY
Golden State at Indiana
San Antonio at Orlando
Cleveland at Brooklyn
Dallas at New York
Chicago at Memphis
Minnesota at Milwaukee
Utah at Phoenix
Denver at L.A. Lakers
Detroit at Portland
— 6 81⁄2 181⁄2 21 GB
—
51⁄2 17 18 GB
— 1 51⁄2 10 261⁄2
GB
— 2 61⁄2 12 20 GB
— — — 91⁄2 191⁄2 GB
— 41⁄2 5 8 10
S.A. Min FG-A FT-A R A F Pt Champag 19:27 2-7 0-0 532 6 Sochan 28:48 3-7 0-0 532 6 Wembany 27:48 7-13 1-3 13 3 1 18 Tr.Jones 31:11 7-11 3-5 2 6 0 19 Vassell 32:18 8-18 2-2 3 3 1 19 Branham 8:11 1-4 0-0 112 3 Z.Collins 16:49 3-6 2-2 435 8 Kl.Johnson 24:31 3-10 1-1 603 7 Mamuklash 3:23 1-2 0-0 020 2 McDermott 10:19 1-3 0-0 101 3 Osman 21:35 3-7 0-0 501 8 Wesley 15:40 2-2 1-4 163 5
Totals 240 41-90 10-17 46 30 21 104
Percentages: FG .456, FT .588. 3-Point Goals: 12-37, .324 (Wembanyama 3-5, Tr.Jones 2-4, Osman 2-4, Champagnie 2-5, Branham 1-2, McDermott 1-3, Vassell 1-6, Z.Collins 0-1, Mamukelashvili 0-1, Sochan 0-2, Kl.Johnson 0-4). Team Rebounds: 9. Team Turnovers: 15. Blocked Shots: 2 (Kl.Johnson, Wembanyama). Turnovers: 14 (Tr.Jones 3, Wembanyama 3, Branham 2, Sochan 2, Vassell 2, Z.Collins, Wesley).
Steals: 6 (Champagnie 2, Sochan, Vassell, Wembanyama, Wesley).
Miami Min FG-A FT-A R A F Pt Ji.Butler 33:50 5-12 6-6 1111 0 17 Ca.Martin 25:00 4-6 0-0 5 2 2 9 Adebayo 28:47 10-14 0-2 5 2 4 20 Herro 29:08 10-15 0-0 6 7 1 24 Rozier 28:12 5-15 1-1 2 5 3 13 Jaquez Jr 27:57 4-6 2-5 3 0 1 10 Jovic 2:26 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 Love 16:47 2-7 0-0 6 0 3 6 Rchrdsn 26:28 2-6 4-4 4 0 2 9 D.Rbnsn 18:59 1-6 3-3 2 2 2 6 O.Rbnsn 2:26 0-0 2-2 1 0 2 2
Totals 240 43-87 18-23 45 29 20 116
Percentages: FG .494, FT .783. 3-Point Goals: 12-38, .316 (Herro 4-7, Love 2-6, Rozier 2-7, Ji.Butler 1-3, Ca.Martin 1-3, Richardson 1-4, D.Robinson 1-6, Jaquez Jr 0-2). Team Rebounds: 5. Team Turnovers: 11. Blocked Shots: 2 (Ji.Butler, Love).
Turnovers: 10 (Jaquez Jr 2, D.Robinson 2, Adebayo, Herro, Jovic, Love, Ca.Martin, Rozier). Steals: 8 (Ji.Butler 3, Ca.Martin 2, Adebayo, Love, D.Robinson). Technical Fouls: (Ji.Butler).
San Antonio 31 20 26 27 — 104 Miami 32 21 25 38 — 116
Att.—19,652 (19,600). T—2:09.