Church group to spend night in Dothan following bus crash

By Lance Griffin

Published: June 29, 2008

Less than two hours from his destination Sunday afternoon, 17-year-old Nate Blankenship was energized. The drowsiness created by the long bus trip had been replaced by anticipation.

He and 70 fellow students from Centenary United Methodist Church in Lexington, Ky., would soon be at the beach, ready for a week of fun at church camp.
But on their way through Dothan, Blankenship heard his driver receive a frantic radio message from another person in their three-bus convoy. One of the buses had hit a pickup truck somewhere behind them on Ross Clark Circle.

By the time Blankenship’s bus arrived at the scene of the accident, the lights from police cars and fire engines lit up the overcast, rainy afternoon.
“When we got there, I just saw the front of the bus completely caved in,” Blankenship said.

Some of the high school students on Blankenship’s bus had younger siblings on the bus involved in the accident, which was full of middle school girls.

“A lot of people on my bus dashed out and just ran over there,” Blankenship said. “We didn’t know what to do. All we could do was pray.”

A total of 22 people were transported to local hospitals, nine to Southeast Alabama Medical Center and 13 to Flowers Hospital.

The accident remains under investigation by the Dothan Police Department, but Sgt. Tim Ward said it appears a silver pickup was traveling northbound on Ross Clark Circle between Webb and Kinsey roads at a high rate of speed when it hydroplaned or otherwise lost control, veering into the southbound lane and into the path of one of the church buses. The bus struck the pickup broadside on the passenger side.

Group counselor Emily Evans was traveling in the bus behind the one involved in the accident, and said she saw the bus lurch forward, then slide off the road as the pickup spun back onto the road.

“I saw the bus and the truck hit. Stuff went flying. People were screaming,” she said. “I saw it happen and I didn’t know what to think. I couldn’t breathe.”
Four engine companies and a truck company from the Dothan Fire Department responded along with the entire traffic safety division on duty with the Dothan Police Department, as well as four ambulances.

Two juveniles in the pickup truck, ages 11 and 12, were transported and listed in critical condition. The driver of the pickup truck was also transported. All three were wearing seat belts.

Sixteen students from the bus involved in the crash were transported as well as the adult driver, his wife, and an adult chaperone. Most of the students were treated and released Sunday evening. At least one student was admitted for observation. The bus driver’s wife was admitted with serious injuries.
Richard Grier, minister of students at Centenary United Methodist Church, said the students are trying to recover from the initial shock.

“I think all of the kids are very shaken and disturbed,” Grier said. “I think for some of them, it’s just a little bit surreal that this all happened.”

Centenary is the largest Methodist church in Kentucky, according to Grier. They were traveling to Panama City for “Big Stuf Camp”, a church camp for middle and high school students.

A church bus from Memphis Baptist Church in Dothan responded and helped take the uninjured to Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Dothan. The American Red Cross responded with cots, food and overnight care packages. Grier said the group planned to spend the night at the Ridgecrest Fitness Center. Travel plans from there are still unknown.

Dothan Fire Chief Larry Williams and Ward said they can’t recall a traffic accident with this many injuries occurring in Dothan.

“Certainly not with this kind of injury count and the criticality of those injuries,” Williams said.

For more on this story, please check back at Dothaneagle.com and pick up a copy of Monday’s Dothan Eagle.