The Atlanta Braves turned in one of their former minor league prospects, who allegedly fled the scene of a deadly crash that killed a father of four on a Florida interstate, after the team spotted his car at their facility.
Jonathan Matos Morales, 18, was driving his 2022 black Ford Mustang down I-75 in Manatee County Monday morning when he collided with a Chevy Trailblazer traveling in the center lane, the Florida Highway Safety Patrol told Fox 13.
The impact pushed the Chevy into the right lane, where it was hit by a semi-truck, which then swerved, flipped over and slid to a stop on its side.
Police said Morales stopped briefly after the collision, then fled southbound.
The semi driver, Owen Facey, 34, a father of four, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The SUV driver, a 63-year-old man from Palmetto, sustained minor injuries, the FHP said.
Before the deadly crash, Morales’ Mustang was allegedly observed “weaving in and out of traffic,” Trooper Ken Watson told the outlet, adding that the truck driver never stood a chance to stop in time after the Trailblazer was pushed into his lane.
“Driving a vehicle like that high profile, early in the morning and with a full load obviously they can’t stop on a dime,” Watson said.
Morales was tracked down later that day after Braves officials recognized his Mustang in the parking lot of the team’s spring training facility, CoolToday Park.
“The Atlanta Braves organization contacted the Florida Highway Patrol advising they may have found that vehicle within their complex. Advising they felt 99.9% sure that they had the vehicle,” Watson said.
“We immediately dispatched troopers to the scene, made contact with the Braves legal staff, and we were able to establish that was in fact the vehicle we were looking for, and then promptly able to make an arrest of our suspected driver.”
Following his arrest, the Braves acknowledged that Morales was “formerly signed” to the team’s minor league system.
“Our organization is cooperating fully with authorities and will not have any further comment at this time. Our condolences go to the loved ones of all who were involved,” the statement obtained by Fox 13 said.
The 18-year-old catcher is being held in the Manatee County Jail after being arrested late Monday for vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a crash involving death.
At his first court appearance Tuesday, Morales was handed a $200,000 bond, ordered onto supervised release and told to surrender his passport if he makes bail, Fox 13 reported.
His lawyer pushed for a lower bond of $50,000, arguing that Morales makes very little income in the baseball farm system, has “zero criminal history” and has been an American citizen since he was about 10 years old after immigrating from Puerto Rico.
However, the State Attorney’s Office pushed back, pointing to a citation Morales received in October for doing 81 mph in a 50 mph zone in Charlotte County and flagging an alleged comment he made suggesting he may be a flight risk if released on bail.
The crash remains under investigation.
The Braves signed Morales — a catching prospect — to a minor league contract on July 23, 2025, assigning him to the FCL Braves the next day and activating him on Aug. 4 before sending him to Cangrejeros de Santurce, a professional team in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in November.
In the wake of the tragedy, Facey is being remembered by his family as a hero for veering his truck away from plowing into the Trailblazer.
“He tried to save the vehicle, and he flipped right over,” his mother, Judy Thomas, told Fox 13.
Thomas said her son had been driving for less than an hour and was working for the trucking business he co-owned with his cousin at the time of the crash.
“When he flipped over (his cousin) called his name and no answer, he called his phone and no answer,” the heartbroken mother said.
“Part of my life is gone.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
