Giants draft pick Jones has surgery after car crash

Chad Jones' life is no longer in danger, but his livelihood most likely is over before it even started.

Jones, a safety drafted by the Giants in the third round in April, was driving a black SUV when he lost control and smashed into the concrete base of a streetcar pole in New Orleans at about 7:15 Friday morning. Two passengers in the car escaped with minor injuries that were treated at the hospital, but it took emergency workers 20 minutes to get Jones out of the wreckage. Alert when he was taken to the hospital at LSU, he was listed in critical condition, then spent most of the day in surgery as doctors attempted to save his left leg from amputation.

According to a report from WWL-TV in New Orleans, Jones, 21, suffered a fractured left leg and had arteries and nerves exposed. Doctors attempted to get blood flowing back to Jones' foot in the operating room.

Although the surgery was completed Friday evening and apparently was successful in returning blood flow - no amputation was needed - it is too soon to tell what kind of long-term damage has been done or if Jones will play pro sports again. His injuries no longer are considered life-threatening, just career-threatening.

A New Orleans Police Department spokesman told Newsday he does not believe drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident, but toxicology tests will be run. Jones will be charged with careless operation of a vehicle, according to New Orleans Police Department public information officer Shereese Harper.

Rocky Arceneaux, Jones' agent, said he spoke to the other passengers, who said Jones was in the far left lane and turned the wheel abruptly to get his tires off the streetcar tracks' grooves. The vehicle then rolled into a pole that carries an overhead electrical wire powering the streetcar line. The concrete base of the pole was cracked and broken. The pole was scuffed but remained standing, and the streetcar line reopened when the site was cleared. The driver's side of the SUV appeared to have been violently compressed, according to people who saw the wreckage before it was removed.

Jones, a native of New Orleans who played football and baseball at Louisiana State University, signed a four-year, $2.616-million contract with the Giants last week.

"We continue to gather information on Chad's condition, and obviously our primary concern is for his health and well-being," the Giants said in a statement. "Jerry Reese and his staff have maintained contact with Chad's family throughout the day."

This is the second time in a month that a Giant has been involved in an accident in which the words "critical condition" were used. In late May, veteran defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka and his brother Benedict were riding motorcycles in Indianapolis when Benedict crashed into a car. Benedict was in critical condition but recently was released from the hospital.

The Giants' veteran minicamp ended last week with Tom Coughlin urging players to be careful this summer. Rookies such as Jones remained in New Jersey with the team until they were dismissed Thursday. With AP