One person died Sunday and more than a dozen were injured when an SUV collided with a bus carrying a Canadian sports team on Interstate 69.
The crash was reported just before noon Sunday a few miles north of Angola in Steuben County. The driver of the sport utility vehicle lost control in a southbound lane, overcorrected and collided head-on with the bus, according to T.R. Hagerty, Angola fire department spokesman.
The bus was carrying members of the London Silverbacks, a semi-pro football team from London, Ontario, who had played the Indianapolis Tornadoes the night before in Indianapolis.
The SUV burst into flames upon impact, trapping one passenger inside. That person died, Hagerty said.
Two surviving SUV occupants were flown to Fort Wayne hospitals for treatment, Hagerty said. Details were not available Sunday on their conditions or names pending family notification.
About 12 people from the bus were treated at Cameron Hospital in Angola for minor injuries. The remaining occupants of the bus were taken by Metropolitan School District of Steuben County school buses to St. Anthony Catholic Church, at 700 W. Maumee, in Angola.
Accommodations to stay overnight for the 38 bus passengers were offered at St. Anthony Catholic Church, said Jason Enemyk, Silverbacks assistant head coach. But the Silverbacks left Sunday night on a replacement bus.
Head coach and team owner Alan Lazar remained in Fort Wayne in critical but stable condition Sunday night, Enemyk said.
"We're hanging in there with great support," Enemyk said, expressing gratitude to the first responders, the parish and the National Guard. "The people here have been consoling us, being very encouraging. Everyone's thankful to be alive."
National Guard soldiers from the Fort Wayne 1st Battalion 293rd Infantry Regiment provided aid to victims, having been heading back after a weekend drill in Michigan.
What the members of the 1-293rd did Sunday is part of every soldier's training, Guard spokeswoman Lt. Col. Deedra Thombleson said.
The soldiers set up a triage area and attended to crash victims until emergency crews arrived, helped with traffic control and set up a landing zone for medical helicopters. Some of the soldiers were qualified combat lifesavers, she said.
"They were doing tasks that they would have had to do overseas," Thombleson said.
Several area departments, including Steuben County firefighters, Indiana State Police, Angola police and the Steuben County Emergency Management Agency also aided at the crash scene.
Anthony Meriweather, general manager of the Indianapolis Tornadoes, said he was shocked to hear about the crash a day after seeing his team compete with the Canadians.
"I was devastated when I heard about it. … It just floored me," he said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the team."
Robin Williams, commissioner of the North American Football League, of which the Silverbacks are members, said Sunday the league's schedule would be adjusted as needed depending on whether the Silverbacks are able to play again this season. The Saturday event was a preseason game, she added.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation and a crash scene reconstruction is being conducted, Hagerty said.
Joyce McCartney of The Journal Gazette contributed to this report.
In the aftermath
To see video of the cleanup, please click here.
