Isaiah Thomas’ sister killed in one-way accident
By Kareem Gantt
Boston Celtics star Isaiah Thomas lost his sister in a one-way car accident on Saturday morning.
Boston Celtics star guard Isaiah Thomas is dealing with tragedy before Game 1 of their first round series against the Chicago Bulls.
According to KIRO-TV, Chyna J. Thomas was driving on Interstate 5 in Federal Way, Wash. when, according to Washington State Highway Trooper Nick King, her 1998 Toyota Camry began to drift into the left shoulder.
Once the car went into the shoulder, the car traveled about 50 feet off the roadway before crashing into a Jersey barrier. When the car crashed into the barrier it “vaulted the vehicle head-on into the sign post,” King told the media.
According to KIRO, the car then came to a rest on top of the barrier, with the front of the car resting on a metal pole that held the carpool sign on the shoulder of the interstate. The accident occurred on Interstate 5 southbound at South 288th Street at 5 a.m. according to the Highway Patrol.
She was pronounced dead at the scene. She was 22 years old.
The tragic death of his sister couldn’t have come at a worst time for Thomas, who is preparing to lead his top-seeded Celtics into the playoffs against a battle-tested Bulls team looking to pull an upset. Thomas has had a career year in his second season in Boston, averaging a career-high 28.9 points per game on 46 percent shooting from the floor.
His Celtics clinched the top seed in the East on the last day of the season, and are pegged to at least make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. There is no word of Thomas’ status for Game 1, but, as of now, he is still slated to start when the two teams tipoff Sunday afternoon at TD Banknorth Garden.
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There is no doubt that Thomas will be playing with a heavy heart.