U.S. soccer forward Charlie Davies in “serious” condition after fatal traffic accident (updated)

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Forward Charlie Davies, who on Saturday helped the U.S. to qualify for soccer’s 2010 World Cup in South Africa with a 3-2 road victory over Honduras, underwent more than five hours of surgery today after being involved in a single-vehicle fatal traffic accident near Washington, D.C.

Davies, 23, was injured in the 3:15 a.m. accident on the George Washington Parkway and was taken to Washington Hospital Center. The nature and extent of his injuries was not immediately known but they were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a U.S. Soccer spokesman.

A hospital spokesperson described Davies’ condition as ‘serious’ after the surgery.

Another passenger was killed in the accident, in which the vehicle was torn in half when it struck a guard rail. The driver of the car was not immediately identified.

‘Obviously, as a team we are saddened to learn this news,’ U.S. Coach Bob Bradley said in a statement released by U.S. Soccer. ‘Our thoughts and prayers are with Charlie and his family, as well as the people in the car and the families of the others involved.

‘As a team, we are relying on each other in a moment that has for sure hit us all hard.’

Davies, who plays for FC Sochaux in France, has become a regular starter on the U.S. team, which plays Costa Rica at RFK Stadium on Wednesday night in its final qualifying game for the South Africa 2010 World Cup.

For more on this story please see http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/ later this evening.

-- Grahame L. Jones