Billings News

Billings West coach, player talk about bus crash

Posted: Jan 29, 2012 6:31 PM by David Jay

BILLINGS - More than a day after a bus accident injured four people, including two Billings basketball teammates, West High School players appear to be doing okay.
We spoke with two people who were on the bus, when it slid off Interstate 94 near Waco, on a drive back to Billings Friday night.
"I was actually sleeping and all of the sudden I just feel my body kind of being tossed around, said Taylor Smith, a senior on the West High girls basketball team. "At first you didn't know what was going on. And once it was l over, it was just like, the bus crashed, but the second thing I was thinking, is thank goodness it didn't flip."
"We drifted down into the median and as she worked to control the bus, we ended back on the interstate, the back end swung around, we ended up on the ditch," said Randy Chase, coach for the West girls basketball team. "I'm very thankful every girl is safe, we're home. They were able to get home to their parents. And that's the first thing that all the girls walked off that bus safe."
A total of four people were hurt including two players, the assistant coach and the bus driver.
Coach Chase he still has to check on how the two injured players are doing and if they can come back to practice right away.
The accident happened Friday night.
Billings School District two Superintendent Jack Copps says the accident occurred because the driver bent down to put a coat over her legs.
The accident remains under investigation.

Topics: Billings West High School, Billings, Montana