Child Dies, 45 Injured After Youth Football Bus Crash
Tragedy struck in Arkansas early Monday morning, as a youth football team’s bus crashed, killing one child and injuring at least 45 other people, according to a report from the Arkansas State Police.
The bus, owned by Scott Shuttle Service of Somerville, Tennessee, was on its way back from Dallas to the Memphis area. The team had been in Texas to compete in a championship football game over the weekend.
The bus crashed at the mile marker 111 of Interstate 30 west of Benton and about 25 miles southwest of Little Rock.
The driver of the bus told police that she lost control of the vehicle, causing the bus to roll off the side of the road with fatal results for one of the children on board.
The team, from the Orange Mound Youth Association, was composed of kids between the ages of 8 and 12.
Video from the scene showed the bus rolled over onto its side, laid flat along the windows.
BREAKING: 1 child is dead and 40 others are injured after a Memphis youth football team bus crash. Arkansas state police say the bus was on I-30, West of Benton, when it left the roadway and overturned. The bus driver is being questioned by state troopers. @FOX13Memphis pic.twitter.com/yXtWlZSLwK
— Alexa Lorenzo (@ALorenzoFOX13) December 3, 2018
Arkansas Children’s Hospital reported it received 24 of the crash victims, all of whom are in stable condition.
Additional victims were transported to hospitals in Saline and Pulaski counties, which include Benton and Little Rock.
Memphis mayor Jim Strickland made a public statement in support of the victims.
“On behalf of all Memphians, our hearts and prayers go out to the Orange Mound children and their families involved in this morning’s tragic bus accident in Arkansas,” Strickland said.
Scene of deadly charter bus accident this morning on I30 in Saline County, Arkansas. You can tell from the multiple snapped trees how violent a crash this was. @CNN @ABC pic.twitter.com/XRp8HSEaFC
— Brian Emfinger (@brianemfinger) December 3, 2018
Orange Mound is a neighborhood located within Memphis, and the best players from youth football throughout the city get the coveted chance to play at the city’s best sports high school, Melrose High, which can potentially get them the attention of Division I college scouts and, ultimately, the NFL.
And in a poor black neighborhood like Orange Mound, big sports dreams are ingrained into the culture in football and basketball alike.
Instead, one life was cut short and 45 others shaken.
More details are expected to be released as investigators learn more about the incident.
But for now, a neighborhood and a city grieve for a young life lost.
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