A former Major League Baseball star was injured in a car crash that killed his wife in Yakima, Washington on Sunday.

Dave Edler, 70, and his wife Susie, 67, were involved in a head-on collision when their Ford Bronco Sport collided with a Dodge Ram pickup truck at around 4:30pm. 

Edler and his wife were trapped in the wreckage and had to be removed by firefighters.

Edler, who played third base for the Seattle Mariners between 1980 and 1983, was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he remained sedated and was receiving medical treatment as of Monday afternoon after suffering two broken arms and facial injuries. 

But his wife Susie was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a GoFundMe page created to help Dave's recovery that has raised over $22,000 as of Tuesday afternoon. 

The 26-year-old operator of the Dodge Ram truck was arrested on vehicular homicide and vehicular assault charges.

Trevor Allen Stockton appeared in court on Monday, where his bail was set at $75,000, as his 'callous reaction' to the accident was referenced by Deputy Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney Jaye Sleeman. 

According to the Yakima Herald-Republic, he said Stockton 'chuckled' when he heard the Edlers had suffered serious injuries. 

'Upon hearing he had killed the passenger. His response was 'OK,' seemingly not to care about the death-dealing impact he caused, which the officer believed to be the cause of Mr. Stockton's mocking smile,' Sleeman told the judge.

Sleeman also said Stockton repeatedly insulted police by using a slur for people with mental disabilities, citing a police affidavit.

According to the affidavit, Edler, who was mayor of Yakima from 2006 to 2010, told police the truck driven by Stockton had come into his lane.

His Dodge went up on the hood of the Ford driven by Edler, hitting the windshield and collapsing the front window posts with damage concentrated on the passenger side of the car.

A witness said he heard the crash and saw the vehicles in a ditch, and Stockton told him 'they were in my lane'. 

A Yakima Police Department recognition officer said in the affidavit he noticed red, watery eyes and slurred speech from Stockton and could smell alcohol on him from five feet away.

He refused to perform voluntary field sobriety tests and police obtained a search warrant for his blood. 

The affidavit said Stockton's cousin arrived at the crash scene after he called her and told officers she saw him drinking alcohol at breakfast that morning before he and his girlfriend later went to the West Valley Bar.

Security footage from the bar showed Stockton and his girlfriend arrive at 12:45pm before he left at 4:24pm, just six minutes before police were called to the crash with the Edlers. 

Police obtained his bar tab, which showed he purchased a total of nine drinks for the pair of them.

The YPD said that based on its preliminary investigation, Stockton had allegedly been driving at high speeds. 

The Edlers were longtime pastors at Yakima Foursquare Church, who wrote on social media: 'It is with heavy hearts this morning that we request prayer for our Pastors and dear friends, Dave and Susie Edler.

'Please join us in prayer for full recovery for Dave Edler, and for their families and the impact this has on the community. Yakima Foursquare Church will be open tonight at 6pm for a time of prayer, all are welcome as we mourn the loss of Susie Edler and come together as a community in light of this tragedy.'