Earlier this month, Heat big man Haywood Highsmith was driving home from a game when he hit a man helping push a disabled car out of traffic, an accident that led to a partial amputation of the man’s leg.
Now that man, Alekxei Pino, is suing Highsmith, reports TMZ. Damages are not specified in the suit (at least yet).
Pino’s attorney, Manuel Dobrinsky, said in a statement this week his client is actually still in the hospital recovering … “with a very long road of rehabilitation ahead of him.”
Pino’s family has set up a GoFundMe to help cover medical expenses.
On Feb. 6, Highsmith was driving home from a Heat game when he came upon Pino, who was helping push a disabled car (which did not have its lights on) out of the road. Highsmith saw Pino too late and hit him, causing injuries that led to an amputation of Pino’s leg above the knee, according to the police report. That report also states Highsmith was driving 45 in a 40 MPH zone when the accident occurred, but Highsmith had not been drinking, was not impaired, and was cited for careless driving by police.
Highsmith sat out the Heat game following the accident but did play the final three for the Heat before this All-Star break.
