Seven players and one coach were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after three school buses transporting Colerian High School football players to a playoff game crashed in southern Ohio on Friday, according to reports. The accident occurred occurred on Interstate 75 in West Chester Township, Ohio, about 20 miles north of Cincinnati.
#UPDATE: OPS says the crash happened as three Northwest Local School District buses came to traffic, the lead bus stopped abruptly and a chain-reaction crash ensued also involving a pick-up truck. https://t.co/QyUxnxcl2k pic.twitter.com/mRMBiscS5D
— FOX19 NOW (@FOX19) October 29, 2022
Colerain was traveling to take on Mason High School in the Ohio high school playoffs. According to authorities the lead bus stopped abruptly and set off a chain reaction for the buses and pickup truck behind. Police are still investigating the crash.
The playoff game against Mason wasn’t postponed or cancelled, just delayed by an hour. Colerian lost to Mason 14-7.
On Sunday three football players on the Chatooga High School team in Georgia were killed in a single-car accident.
In September a bus from Winfield Middle School in Kansas transporting the school’s football team was involved in an accident. The bus collided with another vehicle, critically injuring a 9-year-old boy.
Back in 2016 Ramah Juco Academy’s football team was on a charter bus that crashed near Rockingham, North Carolina. Four people were killed and dozens more were injured.
At least 2 dead, 40-50 injured in charter bus crash on NC highway near Rockingham https://t.co/mJDGW3p9Sf pic.twitter.com/fnEkZ8dfyx
— CBS 17 (@WNCN) September 17, 2016
The deadliest high school bus crash occurred in 1976 in Martinez, California. On May 21, Yuba City High School chartered a school bus for its choir to Miramonte High School in Orinda for a friendship day concert.
The driver was not familiar with this particular bus model and mistook the low air pressure warning (for the air brakes) for a warning of low engine oil pressure. When the driver exited the freeway presumably to stop for oil, the bus’ air brake system failed due to lack of air pressure.
The bus had no braking capability, and at the speed it was traveling the bus struck the mounted bridge rail and fell off the elevated highway. The bus fell over 20 feet and landed on its roof, crushing it to the base of the window line.
Of the 52 passengers on board, twenty-eight students and an adult adviser were killed. All of the surviving passengers were injured, most critically injured.
After a lengthy investigation, it was ruled that a compressor drive belt failed, which stopped air from getting to the brakes. The investigation also ruled that negligence on the part of the driver contributed to the crash as emergency protocols were violated. The driver’s inexperience and lack of training were also factors in the crash. The driver was charged with involuntary manslaughter but was never convicted.
Whenever there is death it has a ripple effect for those within proximity, particularly when young people die. The loss is often felt more palpably because of time being stolen or taken away.
The students and coaches at Colerian were fortunate the crash was not more serious.
“We are fortunate to be here,” said Shawn Cutright, football coach for Colerain High School.
“We are fortunate to be here,” said Shawn Cutright, football coach for Colerain High School. @FOX19 pic.twitter.com/Djt5Qg0sN2
— Payton Marshall (@paytontvnews) October 29, 2022
