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Denver Nuggets Smith's passenger dies after crash

J.R. Smith of the Denver Nuggets watches during a 96-89 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Denver, Colorado, in April. Smith was hurt in a vehicle crash on Saturday. Passenger Andre Bell died on Monday night. PHOTO: EPA

A New Jersey man who was thrown from Denver Nuggets player J.R. Smith's sport utility vehicle when it overturned last weekend died on Monday night in the hospital, state police said.

Andre Bell, 21, was sitting in the back seat of the vehicle Smith was driving when it went through a stop sign, collided with another car and flipped over at 5:30pm on Saturday in Millstone Township, New Jersey.

Bell, who was in a coma, died from head injuries at 6pm on Monday at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, state police spokesman Sergeant Stephen Jones said.

Smith, 21, who also was thrown from the sport vehicle, remained at Jersey Shore on Monday with an injured left shoulder and numerous scratches, Jones said.

Neither Smith nor Bell were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, he said.

Nuggets spokesman Eric Sebastian said he did not know when Smith might be discharged.

"I think it's too early to say," Sebastian said. "From everything we hear, he's going to be OK."

Sebastian said he did not know if Smith would miss any training.

"We didn't hear anything that would indicate his career would be jeopardized in any way," Sebastian said.

Smith was issued two traffic tickets for failure to stop at a stop sign and improper passing, Jones said.

Both violations carry fines, though the amount was to be determined later.
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