A Rhode Island priest who recently generated international headlines for his controversial statements about abortion and pedophilia was seriously injured in a wreck Tuesday afternoon in Lynn.

Authorities said the Rev. Richard Bucci, 72, of West Warwick, R.I., Sacred Heart Church, had to be extricated from the wreckage following the single-vehicle crash, according to local authorities and media reports.

Authorities said Bucci was driving on Lynnway near North Shore Commuity College when he drove over a curb and struck a tree. Local media outlets report that the crash was witnessed by a local man who pulled over and called authorities.

The Diocese of Providence issued a statement Wednesday morning acknowledging the crash.

“No other information can be confirmed at this time, but the Diocese requests prayers for Father Bucci and his family, friends and parishioners during this difficult time,” officials wrote in the statement.

Bucci in February gained infamy after publishing a letter in his parish bulletin decrying Catholic lawmakers who supported a recent abortion rights bill. During a follow-up interview with a local radio station, Bucci stood by his statements and also said it was improper to compare pedophilia and abortion, as “pedophilia doesn’t kill anyone and (the abortion bill) does.”

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