Anthony Weatherspoon Is Injured in Accident : Former La Habra Star Thrown From Motorcycle 134 Feet After Hitting Curb

Anthony Weatherspoon, a two-year starter for the University of Colorado football team and former La Habra High School star, suffered multiple injuries in a motorcycle accident Thursday night in La Habra.

Weatherspoon, who suffered a fractured collarbone, dislocated hip and puncture wounds to the abdomen, was listed in fair condition Friday night, said a spokesman at Whittier Presbyterian Medical Center.

La Habra police said Weatherspoon was thrown 134 feet after the motorcycle that he was driving hit a curb.

Neither Weatherspoon’s hip, which was dislocated, nor his fractured collarbone will require surgery, said Dave Burton, a University of Colorado trainer in a released statement Friday.

Weatherspoon, who turned 21 Wednesday, will be in traction for the hip injury for five to 10 days and then will be on crutches for six to eight weeks, Burton said.

“In a week we will know something more, but it depends on how Anthony responds,” said Johnnie Weatherspoon, Anthony’s father, Friday at the hospital. “It would be nice for him to play in the fall, but things go on if he has to redshirt.

“I haven’t seen him as serious about conditioning and being in shape as this summer. He was running with the high school team every day.”

Weatherspoon, a 6-foot, 240-pound fullback, will be a fourth-year senior next fall so he could redshirt and still play in 1988.

He was second on the team in rushing in 1986 with 581 yards. He lead the team his sophomore year (1985) with 569 yards and has rushed for 1,193 career yards at Colorado.

“As far as this fall is concerned, I would say his status is in doubt,” said Dave Plat, sports information director at Colorado. “But, until our medical people take a good look at him, it’s too early to rule him out.”

Colorado Coach Bill McCartney was unavailable for comment.

Weatherspoon apparently lost control of a Kawasaki 750 Turbo he had borrowed from a friend, hit a curb when he was driving westbound on Highland Avenue right after he crossed the Idaho Street T-intersection, and slid down an embankment at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday, according to Sgt. Phil Stufflebean of the La Habra Police Dept. According to police, Weatherspoon told officers his foot slipped on the brake pedal as he crossed an intersection.

Weatherspoon told officers he was going about 40 m.p.h., but several witnesses told police he seemed to be traveling about 20 m.p.h. faster than that, Stufflebean said.