BECKLEY, W.Va. — Members of the Martinsburg High School girls basketball team escaped serious injuries when their bus crashed on the Eisenhower Drive I-64 eastbound entrance ramp Saturday night.
The team had played in the Big Atlantic Classic Tournament at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center less than two miles from the crash scene.
The wreck happened at about 8:49 p.m. when the bus overturned. It was carrying 12 players and several adults. There were initial reports of multiple injuries of various degrees but none were life-threatening.
All of the injured were medically cleared by 1 a.m. Sunday, including a student who had been flown to Charleston Area Medical Center.
Coach Kyle Triggs tweeted at 12:30 a.m. Sunday that everyone was safe.
I just want to say thank you to all the prayers and well wishes…we are all doing ok! We appreciate the well wishes!! #BulldogStrong
— Kyle Triggs (@MHSCoachTriggs) February 3, 2019
Senior point guard Deaira Hairston tweeted everyone was doing well but also requested prayers.
Everyone from the team is doing well, no life threatening injuries. Please just keep us in your prayers as we all recover. #bulldogstrong
— Deaira (@deeaaiirraa_) February 3, 2019
Hairston later tweeted the charter bus rolled a number of times before coming to a stop.
Our team bus, carrying 14 passengers, slipped on black ice and flipped 4x down a hill. Everyone in the bus was able to walk away with non-life threatening injuries. If that’s not God I don’t know what is.
— Deaira (@deeaaiirraa_) February 3, 2019
Martinsburg High Principal Trent Sherman tweeted at around 11 p.m. it appeared everyone had escaped serious injury.
Bulldog family the update on our girls b-ball team is that they were involved in an accident on their return from beckley tonight. All early indications are that everyone escaped serious injury please continue to pray for all involved #NoBullJustDogs
— MHS Bulldogs (@MHSTrentSherman) February 3, 2019
A statement from the Berkeley County school system said Gov. Jim Justice was housing the team Saturday night at Glade Springs Resort.
A charter bus carrying the Martinsburg High School girls basketball team was involved in a single vehicle accident on I64 in the Beckley area. Read more: https://t.co/Xu3MXa5ulZ Our thoughts and prayers extended to all members of the team, families and the Bulldog community. pic.twitter.com/mu0BUjuTgh
— Berkeley Co. Schools (@BerkCoSchoolsWV) February 3, 2019
Gov. Justice requested prayer for the players, coaches and all of those associated with Martinsburg High School in a Saturday night tweet.
I ask all West Virginians to join me in praying for the coaches, players, and all those associated with the Martinsburg High School Girls Basketball Team after they were involved in a vehicle accident tonight on I-64.
— Governor Jim Justice (@WVGovernor) February 3, 2019
The Lady Bulldogs played the Greenbrier East High School girls team, coached by Justice, earlier in the evening for the Big Atlantic Classic championship. Martinsburg lost 60-55.
The Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department is leading the investigation being assisted by state police.
Prayers for Martinsburg players, coaches & others involved in tonight’s bus wreck. pic.twitter.com/avZKuYEiwW
— WVSSAC (@wvssac) February 3, 2019