GoFundMe begun for ‘humble, kind’ player who suffered brain injury in Richland crash
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- A GoFundMe campaign supports Dust Devils player injured in a Richland car crash.
- He suffered traumatic brain injuries after being ejected from a vehicle.
- Driver faces vehicular assault charges amid allegations of drunk driving.
A promising young Tri-Cities baseball player is suffering from a traumatic brain injury and skull and facial fractures following Friday’s car crash in Richland.
Rio Foster, 22, remained Tuesday in critical but stable condition at Kadlec Regional Medical Center four days after being thrown from of an out-of-control car in a sleepy Richland neighborhood at 2 a.m.
“He’s undergone a brain surgery and will need more procedures done over the course of the next few months on top of physical therapy,” said Iris Cleveland in a new posting on a GoFundMe account started to help pay for his care.
Police believe Tri-City Dust Devils player was in the front passenger seat of a Mercedes that was speeding on Van Giesen Street on their way to a party after leaving a Richland tavern, according to Benton County court documents.
The driver, who was believed to have been drunk, lost control starting at the roundabout at Thayer Drive.
Ashante Q. Sanders-Jackson, 22, fought for control of the car but clipped a fence, hit a curb and sheared through a utility pole before the car started flipping, according to court documents.
It finally stopped near the intersection with Platt Avenue.
Foster and another woman were thrown from the car. Sanders-Jackson and a third passenger were not seriously hurt, said police.
Foster, who is from Athens, Georgia, and attended college in South Carolina, started with the Dust Devils in April.
Foster is an outstanding outfielder with the Los Angeles Angels’ organization, and had been named Northwest League player of the month and credited with leading the team to victory with his hitting the night before.
Cleveland posted that he is supposed to play in the fall league in Arizona as well.
“Rio is the most humble, kind and respectful young man and this is the most unfortunate circumstance,” Cleveland said. “He worked so hard to get to where he is today, and was on fire these past few weeks.”
Foster’s family remains in Georgia, and Cleveland said they’re trying to get him back home, but also making sure his medical needs are met.
“Although he’s in this predicament, we know that this is something he will come back from and 10x stronger,” Cleveland wrote. “Please, please, please keep him in your prayers.” The account is at www.gofundme.com/f/rio-foster.
Sanders-Jackson, of Hermiston, Ore., remains in the Benton County jail in lieu of $200,000 bail on suspicion of three counts of vehicular assault.
This story was originally published September 9, 2025 at 2:33 PM.