American police authorities have opened an investigation after the accident of a bus transporting dozens of young Quebec baseball players traveling to Florida this weekend. One of the group’s coaches was seriously injured, but all the students are safe.
“It’s really unfortunate what happened, but the good news is that the worst was avoided,” says the vice-president of communications for the Baseball Centre-du-Québec organization, Mathieu Audet, in telephone interview with The Press.
Departing Friday evening, the bus transported young people in sports studies from Fadette and Marie-Rivier secondary schools, located in Saint-Hyacinthe and Drummondville respectively. Around forty young people were on board at the time, with a few coaches and chaperones. They were supposed to play baseball for about a week in Florida as part of a sports-study program.
The accident occurred shortly before 3 a.m. Saturday in Emporia, Greensville County, Virginia, about halfway along the bus’s route to Florida. According to our information, one of the hypotheses studied by the local police would be that the bus driver fell asleep. Nothing has been confirmed yet, the investigation is ongoing.
A coach who was at the front of the bus and who was thrown upon impact is said to have suffered serious injuries. However, these do not endanger his life. Transported to a local hospital in Virginia, he will nevertheless have to undergo knee surgery in the coming days.
As for the young people, they are all “safe and sound”, confirmed Mr. Audet.
“It’s certain that it created a lot of stress, we’re talking about young people between the first and fifth secondary schools. That said, both the coaches and the older ones reassured the younger ones and communications with the parents were made. The situation was well managed,” argued the manager, highlighting in passing the “exemplary work” of Emporia’s first responders.
A substitute bus
Shortly after the incident, the decision to bring the young people home was made due to the concerns of parents and school administrators.
Notified of the situation, the company Autobus Fleur de Lys sent two employees skilled in driving, with a new coach, to pick up the group. The latter left Virginia around 7:30 a.m. Sunday. He was normally supposed to return to Drummondville on Sunday, around 9 p.m.
“Our two drivers are also safe. No other vehicles were involved in the accident. […] All passengers, with the exception of the coach who is still under observation at the hospital, are now on their way home,” indicated the CEO of Autobus Fleur de Lys, Georges Morissette, in a statement sent this Sunday.
He at the same time promised that his teams will work with the authorities and the people involved in this accident “to fully understand the causes and ensure that the safety of our services is reinforced, again and again”, reserving any further comment due to investigation.