Six student golfers from a New Mexico college were killed along with their coach in a fiery collision between the school’s van and a pickup truck in Texas, officials said Wednesday.
Two other people also died and two more students at the University of the Southwest were critically injured when the private school’s Ford van collided head-on with the Dodge 2500 on SH 115 and 1788 about 8:15 p.m. Tuesday, NBC News reported.
Tyler James — who was entering his first season as head coach of the men’s and women’s golfing program at the college in Hobbs — was at the wheel of the van at the time of the crash, officials said.
Freshman Laci Stone, a global business major who graduated from Nocona High School in Texas in 2021, was also among those who died in the crash, her family siad.
First responders at the scene of the fatal bus crash in Texas. Twitter / @tatumguinn, NewsWest9
Head coach Tyler James was one of the people killed when a bus carrying a college golf team crashed in Texas. University of the Southwest“She has been an absolute ray of sunshine during this short time on earth,” her mother, Chelsi Stone, said on Facebook. “… We will never be the same after this and we just don’t understand how this happened to our amazing, beautiful, smart, joyful girl.”
The names of the other victims had not been released Wednesday evening.
“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,” university president Quint Thurman said in a statement, according to NBC News.
“My understanding is that two of our students have survived and have been airlifted to University Hospital in Lubbock with serious injuries,” Thurman said. “We would ask for prayers for their recovery and for comfort and strength for all of (the) families and friends and students of those whose lives have been lost.”
Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Steven Blanco said the horrific crash occurred on the two-land road about nine miles from the city of Andrews, northwest of Midland-Odessa.
“For unknown reasons, the Dodge pickup drove into the northbound lane and struck the Ford passenger van head-on. Both vehicles caught fire and burned,” the state agency said in a statement.
The National Transportation Safety Board plans to send a 12-member “go team,” including experts on vehicle and motor carrier factors, to the crash site for accident reconstruction Wednesday, agency spokesman Eric Weiss said.
“We’ll try to find out not only what happened, but why it happened, so we can possibly prevent things like this from happening in the future,” he said.
A destroyed truck at the scene of the bus crash in Texas. Twitter / @tatumguinnThe driver of the pickup truck and a passenger were killed, KWES reported. The school’s Ford Transit van was carrying nine people and towing a box trailer while heading back from a golf tournament in Midland, where both the women’s and men’s teams were competing.
The Midland College Golf Tournament was canceled after the tragedy.
“All of the players and their coaches from the participating schools met together early this morning,” said Midland College Athletic Director Forrest Allen, KWES reported.
The campus of the University of the Southwest. Twitter / @tatumguinn“We were all shocked to learn of this tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with USW as they grieve this terrible loss. I have talked with USW’s Athletic Director Steve Appel to let him know that all Midland College athletic team players and coaches are ready to help in any way during this time,” he added.
The accident remains under investigation.
“USW is coordinating with Texas DPS to assist with the investigation and public information efforts,” the school said in a statement. “University administration is communicating with families of the students and coaching staff to provide more information as it becomes available.”
With Post wires
