Blyleven’s Wife, 3 Children Hospitalized After Accident

Four members of Angel pitcher Bert Blyleven’s family remained hospitalized in Orange Friday with injuries resulting from a single-vehicle accident.

Authorities said Blyleven’s wife, Patricia, 37, was driving three of the couple’s children on a southern Sierra Nevada highway when their truck flipped over Thursday afternoon.

The family was heading home from Reno, Nev., where they watched the eldest son, Todd, pitch in an amateur game.

Thomas Blyleven, 6, was ejected from the vehicle and suffered two broken arms. The group, including Blyleven’s daughter Kimberly, 16, and son Timothy, 8, was taken about 37 miles to Southern Inyo Hospital. Timothy was treated and released, but it was later decided to hospitalize him for observation and testing.

The four were transported by air ambulance to two hospitals in Orange, near the family’s home in Villa Park. Mrs. Blyleven was admitted to St. Joseph Hospital. The children were admitted to Children’s Hospital of Orange County. All were listed in stable condition, Tim Mead, Angels’ director of public relations, said Friday.

“When Bert called today,” Mead said, “he wanted us to express his sincere thanks to members of the media and others for their concern and messages. He said, ‘God really saved them.’ ”

Mead said Blyleven (8-7) will miss his start tonight against the Oakland Athletics so he can be with his family. No replacement had been named, but Sunday starter Chuck Finley will not be moved up in the rotation.