Muhammad Wilkerson in Car Accident

By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson was treated for “minor injuries” after he was involved in a motor vehicle accident on the Garden State Parkway this past weekend. He was reportedly the driver of a vehicle that overturned after striking another vehicle. The Sienna that Wilkerson struck contained 10 people, Lieutenant Steven Jones, a spokesperson for the New Jersey State Police, said. Three complained of pain but none were treated, he said. Wilkerson’s Challenger “probably went more than 10 yards on the roof,” Jones said.

Wilkerson was transported to a Newark hospital after he crawled out of his car, according to New Jersey Garden State Trooper Christopher Kay, who added that there did not appear to be any other serious injuries suffered by anyone in the car that Wilkerson struck. Kay said Wilkerson was charged with careless driving and failure to maintain his lane after he struck a Toyota Sienna with his 2011 Dodge Challenger, according to the police report. Police responded after being notified of the accident at 4:29 a.m. on Saturday.

Alcohol, nor any other illicit substances, was felt to have played a role in the accident. “First and foremost, other than the minor injuries, he’s OK and everyone else involved is OK but I do not have a lot of details,” said Chad Wiestling, the agent for Wilkerson.

Wilkerson reported to the Jets team facility Monday and was examined by the team’s medical staff.  A Jets spokesperson said that Wilkerson needed stitches in his forearm after the accident, but that the injury should not interfere with his ability to be ready for training camp. Jets players are due to report on July 26.

The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Wilkerson received significant praise for his performance in the Jets’ offseason program and is expected to make a major contribution this season. Jets coach Rex Ryan is currently out of the country on vacation, but he was asked about Wilkerson’s improvement as a player earlier this month during the team’s three-day minicamp.

“He’s going to be hard to ignore,” Ryan said. “That’s for sure. The thing that you always look for in a young man, a rookie coming into the league, a lot of times he’ll hit that wall and they’ll do just the opposite. He actually got better as the season went on. He was playing at a super-high level by the end of the season and he’s actually gotten better.” Wilkerson was the Jets’ 2011 first round draft pick out of Rutgers University.

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