BLYTHE, Calif. — Former major league manager Preston Gomez was critically injured today when he was struck by a pickup truck at a gas station.

Police Sgt. Jeff Wade said the 84-year-old Gomez sustained serious head injures when he was hit by the truck as he walked around gas pumps at a Chevron station in Blythe, about 220 miles east of Los Angeles.

Wade called it an "unfortunate accident," and said the 31-year-old Mashore was holding Gomez's hand when police arrived. Mashore wasn't arrested.

Gomez, a Cuban infielder who played eight games for the Washington Senators in 1944, was 346-529 in seven seasons as a major league manager with San Diego, Houston and the Chicago Cubs from 1969 to 1980.

Inducted into the Hispanic Baseball Heritage Museum Hall of Fame in 2003, Gomez joined the Angels in 1981 as the third-base coach. He became a special assistant to the general manager in 1985 and will holds the position.