Sammi Kane Kraft perishes at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after the car she is in with her female friend hits a truck and is crashed by another car.
- Oct 12, 2012
AceShowbiz - Tuesday, October 9 was a mourning day for "Bad News Bears" fans and the Kraft family for Sammi Kane Kraft died in a car crash. The Amanda Whurlitzer depicter was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, her brother Frankie Kraft stated in Los Angeles Times.
20-year-old Sammi was inside a 2007 Audi with her friend Molly Kate Adams sitting behind the wheel when the accident happened. The female driver was speeding on the westbound 10 Freeway close to Crenshaw Boulevard at about 1:30 A.M.
The California Highway Patrol said that a precursory investigation concluded that the car was leaving Santa Monica in a high speed, when it hit a freight truck tractor combination and was crashed by a Scion car. Both women were trapped inside before helped out by firefighters. The drivers of the other vehicles escaped with no major injuries.
Later, the two women were taken to the hospital. Sammi couldn't be saved, but 21-year-old Molly suffered from just moderate injuries. The California Highway Patrol said further that the female driver was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence of alcohol.
The actress used to be a great baseball player in her childhood. The director of "Bad News Bears" 1976 remake, Richard Linklater, intended to look for a real basketball player for the film and he was so fascinated by Sammi that she finally asked her to star as Amanda.
The baseball girl was excited and worked hard for the role, which was played by Tatum O'Neal in the original movie. She said once, "I could never fill Tatum O'Neal's shoes, but I tried to make the role my own. I added a bit of the New York in me. A little toughness, a little bit of smart-ass."
Her brother Frankie called her as an out-going and positive woman, "She always wore a smile and was hilarious." He then continued, "She loved characters, did amazing Robert De Niro impressions and never took anything too seriously."
