Officials at Iowa Lakes Community College expressed heartbreak after a bus crash Wednesday in northwest Iowa killed a student-athlete and injured dozens of others.
Iowa Lakes President Steve Stokes said during a news conference Thursday that during this difficult time, he appreciated the overwhelming outpouring of support from across Iowa and beyond.
“The messages, prayers and encouragement have meant more than we can express,” Stokes said.
Nineteen-year-old Carter Johnson of Rapid City, South Dakota, died when the team bus left the roadway on a curve and overturned in a ditch along Highway 4 near 220th Street in rural Calhoun County.
The crash happened shortly after 11 a.m., about a mile and a half north of Highway 20, west of Twin Lakes. The team was on its way to North Arkansas College for games scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
“Carter was a great teammate, a friend and a valued member of our athletic community during his time here," said Troy Larson, Iowa Lakes athletic director. "He really impacted our campus, both within our halls and the classrooms, as well as on the playing field."
Iowa State Patrol Lt. Aaron Smidt joined Larson and Stokes during the news conference at the community college in Estherville a day after the deadly accident to give more insight into the aftermath of the crash.
“The responders and law enforcement would like to extend our sincere and deepest condolences to the family of Carter,” Smidt said.
Smidt said teammates following the bus in a van witnessed the crash and started performing CPR before first responders arrived. Even with their efforts, Johnson died at the scene.
“It's impressive when you have young student-athletes stepping up and performing that sort of act," Smidt added.
Massive emergency response
Calhoun County Emergency Management Coordinator Richard Hall said the one-vehicle accident triggered one of the largest emergency responses the area has seen in years.
“This was the first large mass casualty incident that our county has experienced in a very long time that people can remember,” Hall said.
At least 30 different emergency response crews from a four-county area assisted with moving the victims to area and regional hospitals.
In total, 32 individuals were triaged and transported. Medical helicopters flew three patients to hospitals in Des Moines for treatment.
“All those patients were accounted for, treated and transported within one hour of the first 911 phone call,” Hall said.
As of Thursday, Smidt of the Iowa State Patrol said the three Des Moines patients were in stable condition, although he cautioned that recovery from such a violent crash will take time.
“Obviously, conditions can change as days move on,” Smidt said.
A deadly curve
An accident report from the Iowa State Patrol released after the news conference said the 74-year-old bus driver failed to negotiate a curve and overcorrected, causing the vehicle to roll over onto its side.
Two people inside were ejected and trapped under the vehicle.
Smidt said authorities have responded to four fatal accidents in the same location in the past 10 years.
“It’s an active area for us,” Smidt said.
Support for students
As the college mourns the death of Johnson, President Stokes asked for privacy and compassion in the days ahead.
He said the immediate priority has been student safety and well-being. Stokes stated that administrators have been in close contact with families and are providing counseling, academic flexibility and other support services.
“Iowa Lakes is a strong community,” he said. “We will walk through this together.”
Classes have been canceled through the end of the week, but campuses in Estherville, Emmetsburg and Spencer remain accessible to students.
“Right now, we’re focusing on wrapping our arms around all of our students — but specifically our student-athletes and our baseball student-athletes,” Larson said.
Larson said the baseball team is “more than a roster — they’re family,” and the department is focused on players and all students as they grieve.
“We’re providing spaces of grief,” Larson said. “That’s what we do at Iowa Lakes. We support our students, not just academically and not just on the playing field, but as whole individuals.”
Larson said it is too early to figure out when the team might resume its season. College officials are in contact with the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference and the National Junior College Athletic Association and will decide in the coming weeks.
