Wednesday, October 13th, 1999
Ex-Marlin to pay $1.1 million for '98 crash
Passenger thrown from the window of catcher's Ferrari
By Johnny Diaz
jodiaz@herald.com
Citing clashes with his insurance company and a desire to "move on" with his life, former Florida Marlins catcher Benito Santiago has agreed to pay $1.1 million out of his own pocket to the passenger who was thrown out of his yellow Ferrari last year.
Santiago, now a Chicago Cub, crashed his 1997 Ferrari into a tree when it spun out of control in January 1998 in Fort Lauderdale.
The impact seriously injured his passenger, Francisco Arroyo, a mechanic on Santiago's boat at the time.
Santiago suffered facial scrapes and head injuries.
Arroyo suffered from a torn calf and spent several months in the hospital. "My insurance company has not taken care of my friend," Santiago said Tuesday in the office of his lawyer Roy Oppenheim. He said they are suing the insurance company to collect on the payment and attorney fees.
Oppenheim added that Santiago may have to sell bonds and real estate to pay the settlement. "I could not wait any longer for my insurance company to pay him," Santiago said, adding "I want to take care of things and play baseball again."
Santiago is a four-time All-Star who played for the Marlins in 1993 and 1994, hitting the first home run in team history. He signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in December 1996 and was with the Blue Jays at the time of the crash.
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