Detroit Red Wings

Flames Defenseman Recalls Near-Death Experience in Detroit Before Red Wings Game

Andersson injured when hit by car while riding scooter

Published

9 months ago

August 7, 2023

Bob Duff

Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson barely avoided fatal injuries in a traffic collision in Detroit last February.

Rasmus Andersson and the rest of the Calgary Flames were heading out for a meal on the night prior to a road game against the Detroit Red Wings. Spotting one of the rental electric scooters on the sidewalk outside the team hotel, Andersson made the decision to arrive in style.

It was very nearly a fatal choice.

Riding through a crosswalk, Andersson was struck by a car and rushed to hospital. He would be missing Calgary’s next three games, including their 2-1 loss to the Red Wings on Feb. 9 at Little Caesars Arena.

In retrospect, the setback could’ve been much worse for the Flames defenseman.

Rasmus Andersson talks about how he is still feeling the affects of his scooter accident in Detroit and how he may have come back too early. pic.twitter.com/WOLiBtTerw

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) April 14, 2023

Speaking to Swedish website expressen.se, Andersson is revealing how close he came to dying on the streets of downtown Detroit that February night.

“I needed to read the police report afterwards to know what had happened,” Andersson explained. He was lapsing in and out of consciousness immediately following the accident as he was taken by ambulance to Detroit Receiving Hopsital.

Andersson Hospitalized Following Traffic Collision

While Detroit was beating the Flames on a game-winning goal from Filip Zadina, Andersson was watching from a hospital bed under doctor’s orders.

When he awoke in hospital, Andersson’s eyes opened to see three doctors examining him.

“I really didn’t know what happened,” Andersson admits. The doctors were explaining to him that they were checking him for a variety of injuries. They were also informing him of how close he came to suffering a serious injury, or even encountering a much deadlier outcome.

“I would have had a tombstone over me now,” was how the doctors explained the situation to Andersson had the scenario unfolded even slightly differently.

He wound up missing three games due to the injuries suffered during the accident. Oddly enough, Andersson would make his return to the lineup on Feb. 16 at Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome . . . in a 5-2 loss to the Red Wings.