Roy Halladay, former Phillies and Blue Jays pitcher, dies in Florida plane crash

Roy Halladay, who pitched in the major leagues for the Phillies and Blue Jays for 16 seasons from 1998 to 2013, was killed in a plane crash in Pasco County, Fla., on Tuesday afternoon.

The Pasco Country sheriff’s office confirmed the news in a press conference, saying that their “hearts and prayers go out to the family”, and that Halladay was a personal friend who “meant a lot to the sheriff’s office,” and that they will be working with the family to provide any assistance they can.

They later released a detailed statement on the crash based on information currently available.

Prior to the press conference, speculation about whether the victim of the crash was Halladay was tied to the tail number of the plane, which matched that of the plane he owned. He was an avid flyer, and less than a month ago was featured on Icon Aircraft’s website (a piece that has since been removed) as the first person to receive a Model Year 2018 A5 plane.

In the piece, Halladay said of flying,

"I've been dreaming about flying since I was a boy but was only able to become a pilot once I retired from baseball. I've owned other aircraft, but no aircraft embodies the adventure or captured the dream of flying like the A5. Not only is it the safest and easiest aircraft I've ever flown, it is hands-down the most fun. The beaches, lakes, and waterways my family and I get to explore around Florida are mind-blowing. Words don't do justice to what the A5 allows us to experience. Even my wife, who used to be uncomfortable in small planes, now asks where we should take the A5 for the weekend. I'm honored to own the first A5 Founders Edition."

According to the same piece, the A5 Founders Edition he received “was created specifically for owners whose passion and advocacy for the ICON mission helps lead the way in bringing aviation to many more people.”

ICON CEO and Founder Kirk Hawkins said of the Halladays,

"It's great to add Roy to the team and present him with the first A5 Founders Edition aircraft. Roy gets it; he epitomizes the spirit of ICON. While he's an experienced pilot and flies his own turbine aircraft for A-to-B transportation, his true passion is for the adventure of sport flying, which is why he fell in love with the A5. I was even more excited to see his wife Brandy's excitement for the A5. The pure joy on her and Roy's faces talking about flying the A5 together is exactly why we started ICON."

Halladay also posted photos online of his plane and the joy he got out of flying.

Halladay had 203 career wins and 2,117 strikeouts during his time in the league. He was selected for eight All-Star Games, won two Cy Young Awards (AL in 2003 and NL in 2010, both years he led his league in wins), and received votes for NL MVP in both 2010 and 2011.

In 2010, he threw the 20th perfect game in major league history. Later that season, he threw a no-hitter in Game 1 of the NLDS, only the second postseason no-hitter in major league history.

He was 40 years old and leaves behind a wife, Brandy, and two children, Ryan and Braden. The family was based in Tarpon Springs, a coastal town on the Gulf of Mexico.