Karli Payne, a talented incoming eighth grade pitcher/third baseman at St. Pius X High School in Crystal City, Missouri, and member of Doug Clark’s Louisville Slugger 14U club team, was seriously injured Thursday night when struck by a car following a fireworks display at her high school.
Saturday morning, Coach Clark told Extra Inning Softball:
“It’s been a wild night, it’s been rough,” he said, his voice breaking with fatigue and anguish.
“The doctors are doing brain activity tests and will be doing another one today; it takes five to six hours. They took Karli off the respirator and she took a breath, but they’re still testing to see where she is.”
“I just talked with her family,” Clark concluded, “and they are all in for anything that can be done to get more prayers for her and get the word out.”
I am asking for all our softball family to please pray fervently for beautiful Karli
She has played on our 14u team since she was 7 and was hit by a car last night leaving a fireworks show. She is still unresponsive. She needs God’s divine healing.She needs a miracle Fight Karli pic.twitter.com/WpeBBkj8XG— Louisville Sluggers – Clark (@ClarkSluggers) July 1, 2022
The teen’s parents, Jerry and Lori Payne published a report last night detailing the extent of the injuries which included severe brain swelling and shattered compact fractures involving her leg and elbow:
Please keep Karli and the Payne family in your thoughts and prayers. pic.twitter.com/fAy4pnASYJ
— 🥎 St. Pius X Lancer Softball 🥎 (@StPX_Softball) July 1, 2022
Karli was with her mother following the fireworks show when she struck in an intersection; the details are described in a published report by Leader publications, a weekly newspaper out of Jefferson County, Missouri, which wrote:
A 13-year-old girl was struck by a vehicle and seriously injured Thursday night, June 30, while she was trying to walk across Hwy. 61 in Crystal City following the St. Pius X High School fireworks show, authorities reported.
Police did not release the girl’s name, but according to social media, her name is Karli Payne.
Our Lady Catholic School in Festus posted on Facebook that a prayer vigil for the girl will be held at 7 p.m. at Our Lady Catholic Church, 1550 St. Mary’s Lane, in Festus.
Crystal City Police Capt. Mike Pruneau said the accident occurred at about 9:35 p.m.
“After the fireworks show, she was crossing Hwy. 61 with her parents,” he said. “(A Rock Township ambulance) that had just dropped someone off at (Mercy Hospital Jefferson) was right behind the accident and took her to (Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis).”
He said the girl suffered head trauma.
St. Pius X President Jim Lehn called for prayers for the girl.
“Our prayers go out to the family and everyone involved,” Lehn said. “It’s just a horrible accident.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to assist Karli and her family with the medical expenses with the goal of $100,000. CLICK HERE to donate….
Coach Clark, who leads two teams for the Louisville Sluggers, one at the 14U level and the other at 16U, describes his young athlete as “an unbelievable hitter who is hard-nosed and never says stop.”
“Karli is tough as nails and will do anything for her team and coaches,” he continues. “She just leaves it all on the line and has the heart of a lion.”
The Sluggers are currently competing in the USA Softball St. Louis Showcase, an HFL event, and Coach Clark says the support in the community and in the softball world has been impressive.
“Last night, teams from the whole tournament showed up at the hospital for a big prayer circle,” he said. “One Louisville Slugger girl from St. Louis read her own prayer she wrote and so many teams are wearing blue in honor of Karli, because that’s her favorite color.”
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
