Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano will not face charges after a car accident in the Dominican Republic early Sunday that left a police officer with a broken leg, according to reports.
Sano, 25, ran over the officer’s leg after being ordered to stop at a checkpoint outside a club in San Pedro de Macoris, where he was spotted driving without proper identification, El Nuevo Diario reports.
The officer’s left leg was broken in two places during the accident, according to the newspaper, which published a photo of him in a cast at a hospital.
“The facts of the incident are not completely available right now but the club is in the process of gathering as much information as possible,” Twins spokesman Dustin Morse told ESPN.
Sano was later released from custody after agreeing through his attorney to return to the police station early Monday. Sano also indicated that he wanted to pay for the officer’s medical expenses, according to Dominican news outlet Diario Libre.
A spokesman for the Dominican national police, Coronel Frank Duran Mejia, told ESPNdeportes’ Enrique Rojas later Monday that Sano would not face charges in connection to the crash, which left Officer Argenis Emilio Gillandeux’s left tibia and fibula broken.
Sano, who knew Gillandeux and attended school with him, even took the officer to the hospital after the accident. Sano was never charged with a crime because he stayed on the scene, according to the police spokesman.
Sano was accused last year of sexual assault by a photographer who claimed the All-Star third baseman tried to forcibly kiss her after an autograph session at a mall in 2015. League officials announced in March that it would not discipline Sano.
Sano was then sent back to the minor leagues in June while having the worst season of his career. He finished the year batting .199 and 13 home runs in 71 games. In 2017, he hit .264 and belted 28 home runs.
Sano, a native of San Pedro de Macoris, returned to the Dominican after Minnesota’s season ended last week, according to the Star Tribune. The team operates a training facility for rookies and Dominican prospects about 20 miles from Sano’s hometown — and was hoping he would make use of the opportunity, team officials said last week.
