Katy ISD football player in ICU after being thrown from car during crash, mom says

Wednesday, December 30, 2020
Teen football player in ICU after serious weekend crash
Samuel 'Sam' Mills lost control of his car and was ejected, according to his mom. She said the teen is a wide receiver at Tompkins High School.

KATY, Texas (KTRK) -- A 17-year-old high school football player in Katy is slowly improving as he fights for his life in ICU after he was involved in a serious crash Saturday night.

Samuel "Sam" Mills was driving home at around 10:30 p.m. after working his shift at the Chick-fil-A on Pin Oak Road when he lost control of his car and jumped a curb, according to his mother, Carrie Mills.

The mother said she was told her son's car flipped over, causing Sam to be ejected from the vehicle.

WATCH: Man says he helped Katy teen in crash that left him in ICU

A Tompkins High School football player remains in the ICU after he was thrown from his car in a severe crash. In the video above, ABC13's Stefania Okolie speaks with a man who says he and his family helped save his life.

She told Eyewitness News on Tuesday that Sam remains in ICU at Memorial Hermann but is "doing OK." She said he's being monitored closely by doctors and nurses.

Public information officer for the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office Jessica Reyes told ABC13 the crash was reported as a one-car rollover at the Katy-Flewellen Road and Spring Green roundabout.

She said Sam's car rolled over at least twice.

"According to preliminary investigation, speed is believed to be a factor," said Reyes.

Eyewitness News is also awaiting a response from Katy ISD.

Meanwhile, a prayer event organized by friends and loved ones was held Sunday night to honor the young athlete.

"Sam is one of those gritty guys ... he's the kid that's going to run the quarter and run his guts out," said Todd McVey, the head coach of the Tompkins H.S. football team. "Right now, it's just taking it one day at a time, and keep the prayers coming from everybody in the community. He's fought through some things and continues to fight."

A GoFundMe page has also been created to help the teen's family.

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