One fatality reported in crash involving pickup, church bus

By Lance Griffin

Published: June 30, 2008

An 11-year-old boy has died and his 9-year-old brother is clinging to life in Dothan after the pickup truck they were riding in struck a church bus from Kentucky filled with middle school girls on their way to the beach Sunday afternoon.

Dothan Police Sgt. Tim Ward said Rippin Upton, 11, was pronounced dead early Monday morning. Another 9-year-old in the pickup is still listed in critical condition. The female driver of the pickup is also hospitalized. A student, adult counselor and another adult riding in the church bus also remain hospitalized, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

According to police, a woman and two children from Columbus, Ga., were in the pickup truck traveling northbound on Ross Clark Circle between Webb and Kinsey roads just before 2 p.m. when the truck appeared to hydroplane and veer into the southbound lane and into the path of one of the church buses in the three-bus convoy. Ward said the woman told police she had her pickup set on cruise control at 75 mph prior to the accident. The speed limit on Ross Clark Circle is 50 mph.

Ward said no formal charges will be filed, but information from the accident investigation, which is still ongoing, will be forwarded to the Houston County Grand Jury.

Meanwhile, the remainder of the 83-person group from Centenary United Methodist Church in Lexington, Ky., resumed their trip to Panama City, Fla., where they were scheduled to attend a youth church camp known as “Big Stuf Camps”.

“I believe we are rested and ready to go,” said Richard Grier, Minister of Students at Centenary. “The Red Cross and Ridgecrest have really taken care of us. I think we have enough food here for six weeks.

“The kids are resolved that even though it was a tragic accident, that God is going to be honored through this, and that this is going to teach us and grow us,” Grier added.

Grier said the students were buoyed by a phone call Sunday night from campers at Big Stuf Camps.

“We put the cell phone on speaker and all the campers were cheering and clapping for us,” Grier said.

Grier said a small handful of parents came to Dothan and four students and two adults chose to return home to Lexington.