Lichti in Stable Condition After Crash

Denver Nuggets guard Todd Lichti was in stable condition but very distraught today after losing his girlfriend in a one-car accident in Nevada and undergoing surgery on his right foot, said his family and team officials and his family.

Doctors said the surgery for a broken bone in his foot was successful, but stressed that it is too early to determine when or whether Lichti will fully recover.

But his emotional state was suffering because of the death of girlfriend Kristin Gravrock, 23, of Bellevue, Wash., said his mother, who spoke briefly to Lichti by telephone.

“He’s just beside himself,” Ora Lichti told the Contra Costa Times in a story published today. “Physically, he’s OK, but he’s emotionally shot. He’s really broken up.”

The Nevada Highway Patrol said Lichti, 23, was a passenger in the car that ran off Interstate 80, 30 miles east of Lovelock, Nev., and overturned in the median about 7:15 a.m. (Story, Section C).

Gravrock, the driver, was pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers said that Lichti’s face and hands were covered with blood from multiple cuts and that he complained of pain in his foot.

Investigating officers said Gravrock apparently fell asleep. Her car ran off the right side of the highway and slid into the median when she overcorrected.

Lichti and Gravrock began seeing each other about three months ago, and Lichti was bringing her home to meet his family in Northern California when the accident happened, Ora Lichti said.

Lichti, a former Stanford star, was the Nuggets’ first-round draft pick in the 1989 NBA draft. He played in 79 games for the Nuggets this past season, starting four.