MIAMI – A former University of Miami football player remains in critical condition after he was injured in a crash Tuesday morning in the westbound lanes of the MacArthur Causeway.
Miami Beach police said the driver of the gray Lexus that crashed into the back of the truck was former Miami football player JoJo Nicolas.
"At this point, we have not determined who is at fault or if alcohol was present because of the nature of (the victim's) injuries," Miami Beach police Detective Vivian Hernandez said.
Nicolas was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where he remained Wednesday.
Wednesday morning, Nicolas' older brother Abner sent the following text to Local 10's Liane Morejon:
"Thank you for your prayers, love and support. At the moment we would only like to say that Jojo is in the game. He is fighting just as expected. We would like to thank everyone for the continued support, love and prayers. We ask that you continue to pray and feed him positive energy."
Friends and former teammates of Nicolas' have been sharing their prayers on social media. One friend nicknamed "tuckthehuman" shared a photo of him and Nicolas just hours before the crash occurred.
Nicolas, who grew up in Homestead, played for Miami from 2007 to 2011 before being drafted by the New York Giants.
According to his Twitter account, the former Hurricanes safety had been celebrating his birthday at Mansion nightclub.
Hurricanes football coach Al Golden was seen at the hospital.
"During this extremely difficult time for JoJo and his family, our Miami family extends our prayers to them and our hope for his recovery," Golden said in a statement released by the school. "He is a big part of our U family and all of us are pulling for him."