Iowa Bus Crash Kills 19-Year-Old College Baseball Player, Injures 32 Teammates
Authorities have identified 19-year-old Carter Johnson of Rapid City, South Dakota, as the sole fatality in a devastating bus crash involving the Iowa Lakes Community College baseball team.
The crash happened Wednesday near Twin Lakes, about 85 miles northwest of Des Moines. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the team bus went off the highway for unknown reasons and overturned in a ditch. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Johnson, an outfielder in his first year at Iowa Lakes, was pronounced dead at the scene. Lt. Aaron Smidt said teammates traveling in a vehicle behind the bus began administering CPR before first responders arrived.
“Carter was a great teammate, a friend and a valued member of our athletic community,” said Athletic Director Troy Larson. “In his time here, he really impacted our campus — in the classroom and on the playing field.”
All 32 other players on board were injured but are reported to be stable and recovering. Three were airlifted to hospitals in the Des Moines area for treatment. Officials described the crash as a “pretty violent collision.”
The team had been scheduled to play games Thursday and Friday at North Arkansas College in Harrison, Arkansas. School officials say coaches and players will take time in the coming weeks to determine how to move forward with the season.
The Iowa Lakes community and Johnson’s hometown of Rapid City are mourning the loss of a young athlete whose life was cut tragically short.
Leave a Reply