Retired Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays great Roy Halladay has died as a result of a plane crash, Pasco County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Tuesday afternoon.
The deceased has been confirmed as Roy Doc Halladay.
— Pasco Sheriff (@PascoSheriff) November 7, 2017
A small airplane crashed into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pasco County, Florida earlier in the day. Halladay, who owned the single-engine plane, was the pilot and sole person on board. Specifics of the crash are still being investigated.
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Before Halladay was announced as the deceased person, Ryan Bass, the sports director at the CBS Tampa affiliate, reported that the tail number of the plane that crashed matched that of Halladay’s plane. He had only recently earned his pilot’s license.
Up Next: Plane Reportedly Owned by Former MLB Pitcher Roy Halladay Crashed in Gulf of Mexico
Over the last month, the former athlete shared photos of his ICON A5 light sportaircraft, which was clearly a passion project during his time in retirement. He was such a fan of the plane that the company featured him in an October article receiving the first 2018 model of the plane.
I keep telling my dad flying the Icon A5 low over the water is like flying a fighter jet! His response….. I am flying a fighter jet!! pic.twitter.com/30eVjz9eS6
— Roy Halladay (@RoyHalladay) October 31, 2017
Halladay is a former pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays (1998-2009) and Philadelphia Phillies (2010-2013) who won the Cy Young Award in both 2003 and 2010.
He is survived by his wife, Brandy, and the couple’s two children.
Moments after Halladay’s death was confirmed, the MLB put out a statement on Twitter about the former all-star player.
We are saddened by the tragic news that Roy Halladay, 2-time Cy Young Award winner & 8-time All-Star, has died in a plane crash. He was 40. pic.twitter.com/SOFv3bOLyt
— MLB (@MLB) November 7, 2017
“We are saddened by the tragic news that Roy Halladay, 2-time Cy Young Award winner & 8-time All-Star, has died in a plane crash. He was 40,” the league shared.
The Phillies also released a statement following the news.
“We are numb over the very tragic news about Roy Halladay’s untimely death,” the Phillies said in a statement on social media. “There are no words to describe the sadness that the entire Phillies family is feeling over the loss of one of the most respected human beings to ever play the game. It is with the heaviest of hearts that we pass along our condolences to Brandy, Ryan and Braden.”
Photo credit: Getty / Drew Hallowel, Marc Serota
