Former LSU safety Chad Jones, who the Giants selected in the third round of April's NFL Draft, lost control of his black SUV and crashed into a streetcar pole in New Orleans around 6:15 Friday morning. He was listed between critical and stable condition, according to New Orleans EMS spokesman Jeb Tate. Two passengers were also injured.

Jones, 21, suffered a fractured leg and had arteries and nerves exposed, according to CBS affiliate WWL-TV. His father Alfred told a local radio station that he was alert when paramedics took him to LSU's Trauma Center. As of 10:15 a.m., he was undergoing surgery.

Firefighters and members of the emergency rescue division needed 20 minutes to extricate Jones from the mangled black SUV. Tate added that the injuries were "substantial."

New Orleans police said the former LSU star was charged with "careless operation of a vehicle." The police also said they would be looking at toxicology reports.

Jones signed a contract with the Giants on June 11 that was believed to be worth $2.6 million over four years. His agent Rocky Arceneaux did not immediately return a phone call. The severity of the injuries is unknown.

Giants spokesperson Pat Hanlon said that the team was still gathering information as of late Friday morning.

LSU coach Les Miles acknowledged the accident on his Twitter account saying, "Just got news about Chad Jones' car accident. We are praying for Chad and his family. Keep him in your prayers."

Jones, a two-sport star who won national championships in baseball and football, finished his LSU career with 158 total tackles, including two sacks and five interceptions. He was also a relief pitcher on the baseball team's 2009 College World Series win.

Jones chose football over a Major League Baseball pursuit. The Houston Astros picked him in the 13th-round of the Major League Baseball draft in 2007 and in the 50th-round of the 2010 MLB draft.

The Giants previously dealt with a motorcycle scare when defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka and his brother Benedict were riding their bikes in Indianapolis late last month. Kiwanuka was uninjured, but his brother was listed in critical condition. He is now expected to make a full recovery.

Chad Jones finally off the operating table
Posted by Evan Silva on June 25, 2010 7:14 PM ET

A prior report from Erin Cofiell of WAFB in Baton Rouge claimed that Giants rookie Chad Jones emerged from surgery following Friday's horrific car accident. That was five hours ago, and proved to be erroneous.

Finally, we have confirmation from Jones' agent, Rocky Arceneaux, that the Giants' third-round pick is off the operating table some eight hours after he initially went under the knife at 10:15 a.m. Friday.

"Up to this point, yeah, I think everything went smoothly," Arceneaux told the Newark Star-Ledger, adding that his client is "in recovery.

"Everything I'm hearing is good."

Arceneaux sounds confident that the blood flow has been restored to Jones' foot, which would seem to indicate that Jones should avoid amputation. Jones and Arceneaux plan to release a statement shortly that will describe what led up to the accident.