KANSAS CITY, MO : Questions unanswered after Royals' Ventura killed in crash on Sunday, January 22nd 2017

Royals fans were met with one of the toughest days of their existence on Sunday.

Forget about the August days when the team was on its way to back to back to back hundred loss seasons.

Forget the day Alex Gordon was left standing on third base during the final out of game seven of the 2014 World Series.

Forget about the days that just seemed to drag on forever during the 29-year playoff drought.

Forget any on-field pains Kansas City Royals’ fans have felt. The pain from Sunday will linger forever.

Early Sunday morning, Royals starting pitcher Yordano Ventura was involved in a car accident on a foggy mountain highway in his native Dominican Republic. Officials say he was not wearing a seatbelt and an over correction caused his vehicle to roll, throwing him from his vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident happened about 40 miles from Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. Reports say Ventura was driving from one town to the other at the time of the crash.

Authorities still do not know what caused the crash but roads in the Dominican Republic are notoriously dangerous. Investigators are looking into whether or not alcohol was involved.

The Royals organization and the players on the team were shocked to hear the news.

Ventura meant so much to the team and his loss will be felt. The 25-year-old flamethrower was one of the hardest throwing pitchers in baseball and a star.

He had been a cornerstone of the organization since his rookie season in 2014 and a key piece to a roster with championship aspirations. Without him, the team loses one of its best arms but also one of its most confident and exuberant talents.

General manager Dayton Moore remembers Ventura for his go get em' attitude. Something Ventura showed him in their last conversation.

"This guy worked extremely hard. Moore said. “In our last conversation, I spoke to him right before Christmas, and he told me that he's going to win 18 games and 10 of them are going to be complete games. You know everybody has touched Ventura, and somewhere along the way helped develop him and grow as a person."

Ventura had plenty of time to reach his peak level not only as a pitcher but also as a person who could make an impact on the city. And that’s what seems to be hitting home with everyone, the fact that no one will ever see Ventura’s full potential.

But while we will not see his growth or development as a player or a person, we are able to see the legacy he left behind.

Royals fans everywhere are also feeling the pain of losing Ventura.

Memorials have been spotted throughout the metro area.

Several buildings were lit up to pay honor to the young star. The H&R Block building and Union Station both were bathed in blue.

Kauffman Stadium also donned blue as a picture went up on the stadium’s video board, honoring the 25-year-old.

A makeshift memorial was also started outside the stadium, as fans showed up to pay their respects.

Hundreds of people stopped by the memorial, many embracing each other and re-telling some of their favorite stories from past games.

Many fans are still trying to wrap their heads around what happened and even people not living here, are saying this is a terrible day for baseball. Even more took to social media sending prayers to the family and others in disbelief.

“It just says a lot about the fans that we always stand behind him. I'll always stand behind him. I've loved him always,” Royals fan Becky Goodwille said.

“We followed the Royals for a long time. We've been in Phoenix, this is our first year back, followed him through the World Series chase. It just sucks, Royals fan Steve Goodwille said.

One couple even stopped by overnight to relight all the candles and pay their respects.

Early Monday morning, the Royals moved the memorial closer to the stadium to try and protect it from the elements.

Throughout the morning people continued to visit the memorial, leaving pictures, signs, candles and a book that fans are able to write in.

Fans at the memorial say Ventura and the team helped bring Kansas City back together. Others say they didn't just love the pitcher as a baseball player, they loved him as a person.

"I consider the young man like family to us and it instilled a sense of pride in the community and to a large degree, this man has instilled a pride in the game of baseball all across America," Royals fan Bill Scully said.

Many of the fans who visited the memorial say when they heard the news of Ventura's death, they didn't believe it. They say they needed to come to the memorial and pay their respects to a one of kind baseball player.

"He said he died in a car accident and I said what did you say? I didn't believe it at all and I really didn't believe it until I came over here and then I saw his photo up on the board," Royals fan Darius Moore said.

"I just said keep on fighting up there in heaven, something small, simple, but it meant a lot to me," Royals fan Chase Metcaf said.

An unfortunate coincidence accompanies those paying their respects Monday morning.

Monday marks 17 years since Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas was involved in a crash that left him paralyzed. He died weeks later from a heart attack at age 33.

While fans are remembering Ventura with memorials and tributes, some fans feel he should be remembered in a different way.

A group of fans has stated a petition to have Ventura's jersey number, 30, retired.

The petition already has over 2,000 signatures, showing just how vast a legacy Ventura is leaving behind.

Another sign of his vast legacy is how fast his merchandise is flying off the shelves. Ventura's trading cards are seven of the top nine cards being sold on Amazon, and those rankings cover all sports, not just baseball.

Ventura's funeral will be in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday.

Ned Yost, Dayton Moore and several players will be attending. Yost plans to be back in Kansas City for Fan Fest this weekend.

The investigation into the 25-year-old's death is ongoing.

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Questions unanswered after Royals' Ventura killed in crash