text: what happened to roy campanella in 1953... i need an exact date. its due tommorrow so please help me out.? when i say exact date i mean day month and year. i need it for a report tommorrow so pppppppllllllleeeeaaaaaaaaassssssseeeeeeeeee find out. thanks! in 1953 campenella won the nl mvp award. what you are probably refering to was the tragic automobile accident that occured on jan 28 1958 when the car he was driving lost control on an icy patch of road in long island ny and his car struck a telephone pole. he suffered 2 broken vertebrae in his neck and was paralyzed from the neck down, thus ending his baseball career. he was the first black catcher in the big leagues and the second black elected to the hall of fame. he died june 26,1993. hope this helps.