A high school football team from Roanoke, Alabama, survived a head on collision with a pickup truck on Oct. 23, on Interstate 20 in Talladega County.
The driver of the truck was killed in the accident, and has been identified as 31-year-old Amanda Nicole Hubbard from Munford, Alabama, confirmed a spokesperson at the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
Greg Foster, principal of Handley High School said none of the students were seriously injured.
“Bumps, bruises, you know, some cuts here and there, but as far as major injuries needing to stay in the hospital, no we didn’t have anyone,” said Foster.
On the way home from Leeds after their 54-24 victory over Leeds Greenwave, the Handley Tigers team bus was hit head on. A pickup truck crossed the median, sending it airborne before it crashed down onto the top front of the bus, which caused the bus to crash into a ditch, seriously injuring the bus driver.
According to Foster, the driver of the bus was a coach, James McMurray. Students evacuated the bus, and the driver was cut free from the wreckage by first responder rescue teams. He was then airlifted to UAB hospital in Birmingham, Alabama.
McMurray sustained no internal injuries or bleeding, but suffered cuts on his legs and face. Another coach, Cedric Phillips, suffered a broken nose, and a third coach sustained minor cuts from broken glass.
“Everyone else is home with their parents,” said Foster. “They’re safe—that was the most important thing to us, just to focus on our kids, to make sure that they had all the support, and everything that they needed in order to get through this ordeal of being involved with this accident.”
The pickup truck was travelling west toward Birmingham, Alabama, and crashed into the bus travelling east.
“From that point the bus crossed the median, and back over into the westbound lane,” said Foster.
State troopers at ALEA tweeted that the crash happened near the 168 mile marker on I-20 eastbound, shutting down lanes in both directions.
What caused the pickup truck to cross the median is unknown at this time and is being investigated.
