Prosecutors charge man for Adenhart's car crash death

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Prosecutors charged a 22-year-old man with three counts of second-degree murder on Friday after a car crash that killed Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others.

The 22-year-old Adenhart was a passenger in a car that police said was struck by a minivan driven by Andrew Thomas Gallo early on Thursday.

Adenhart had pitched six shutout innings against the Oakland Athletics only hours before the crash.

It was only his fourth game in the major leagues.

Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said Gallo was speeding and that he had an excess blood alcohol level almost three times the legal limit when he ran a red light and struck the car carrying Adenhart and three others.

Adenhart spent four years in the minor leagues, compiling 37 wins and an earned run average of 3.87 before playing three games for the Angels last season.

Thursday's game between the Angels and Athletics was postponed. The Angels begin a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox on Friday in Anaheim.

(Reporting by Bernie Woodall; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)