Adenhart crash survivor had 'internal decapitation'

Jon Wilhite, the lone survivor of the car crash in which Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two friends were killed, "suffered a rarely survivable injury ... when his skull separated from his spine," according to an outstanding report in today's Riverside Press-Enterprise.

Wilhite, 24, is out of the hospital and attending outpatient rehabilitation sessions to help him relearn how to eat and swallow, according to the report. He has no noticeable brain damage and can talk, and he can move his arms and legs, but his ability to walk is limited.

Wilhite is a former catcher at Cal State Fullerton. So is Kurt Suzuki of the Oakland Athletics, who organized an online auction to benefit Wilhite's recovery fund. Suzuki joined with former Angels shortstop Orlando Cabrera to collect autographed memorabilia from players on almost every team in the major leagues, including autographed jerseys from Ryan Howard and Alex Rodriguez and autographed bats from Vladimir Guerrero and Albert Pujols.

The auction also offers baskets, including an Angels basket that features a Guerrero autographed bat, a John Lackey autographed jersey, a Torii Hunter bobblehead doll and a Hunter "game-used right cleat." All the auction items can be found here.

 -- Bill Shaikin

Photo: The car in which Jon Wilhite, Nick Adenhart, and two other friends were traveling. Credit: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times.