A bus crash involving members of the University of the Southwest’s golf teams has left multiple people killed.
The bus was carrying players from the university’s men’s and women’s teams following a tournament at Midland College earlier on Tuesday. It collided head-on with a pick-up truck in Texas at around 8.17pm on Tuesday night, leaving fatalities from both vehicles. Sgt. Steven Blanco of the Texas Department of Public Safety told Texan TV station KWES-TV: “It’s a very tragic scene. It’s very, very tragic.” Blanco also confirmed that the crash was under investigation.
The president of the University, Quint Thurman, said in a statement that among those killed in the crash was the coach of the men's and women's golf teams, Tyler James. "We are still learning the details about the accident, but we are devastated and deeply saddened to learn about the loss of our students' lives and their coach." According to the university website, James was in his first year as coach.
The university, which is located in Hobbs, New Mexico, close to the Texan border, released a statement after the crash confirming the news. Then, on Wednesday, the University issued a further update via its Twitter account, confirming that nine passengers were on the bus, and that reportedly seven had been killed: It read: "The USW campus community is shocked and saddened today as we mourn the loss of members of our university family. Nine passengers, including the coach, were on the university bus involved in the fatal accident. While the accident investigation is still underway, reports indicate that seven passengers aboard the bus were killed in the crash.” The statement also said that two passengers are in a critical condition and undergoing medical treatment.
