from Central Penn College
Angel Mercado, a 19-year-old freshman at Central Penn College, died after suffering a traumatic head injury when a wooden bunker collapsed on him.
CNN
–
A 19-year-old college baseball player has died of head injuries after a dugout collapsed on him while he was volunteering at Penn State, according to school officials.
Angel Mercado, a student and baseball player at Central Penn College, died at Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday night, according to a news release from the school.
Mercado was injured Monday while volunteering for an unaffiliated youth baseball league, the statement said.
“We understand that he and others were working on a log dugout in the city park at 7th and Radnor Streets in Harrisburg as part of a youth baseball league, when the structure collapsed unexpectedly, causing very serious injuries to volunteers,” the school said.
According to the release, Mercado was studying entrepreneurship and small business.
The school also released a letter sent by college president Linda Federizzi Williams.
“As friends who became family, we mourn the loss of one of us, a promising young athlete who senselessly lost his life while helping others enjoy the sport he loved so much,” she wrote.
“There are no words that can adequately express our suffering,” she added.
According to the release, counselors will be on staff to support students and staff “during this time of tremendous loss and grief affecting our community.”
Cumberland County Coroner Charlie Hall told CNN that Mercado died of head injuries at 11:12 p.m. Wednesday. According to Hall, the manner of his death was accidental.
Central Penn head baseball coach Robert Stern created an approved GoFundMe to cover Mercado’s funeral and medical expenses.
Describing the fundraiser, Stern recalled Mercado as “a fun, athletic student who loves baseball.”
The money raised will help Mercado’s family cover his funeral and medical expenses, according to the GoFundMe page.