A pregnant coach died when the bus carrying her college women’s lacrosse team veered off the Pennsylvania turnpike and crashed into a tree.
The bus was taking the team from Seton Hill University to a game at Millersville University, about 50 miles from the crash site in central Pennsylvania. Police said the bus veered off the road, killing the bus driver and the team’s pregnant coach, 30-year-old Kristina Quigley .
On Saturday, the university posted a notice with details of the crash that killed the pregnant coach .
“The Seton Hill community is mourning the loss of Kristina Quigley and her unborn son,” the statement read. “The University extends deepest sympathy to Quigley’s husband and family.”
Police say they weren’t immediately sure what caused the accident but said no other vehicle was involved. The accident left a scene of destruction on the highway, with the side of the bus being torn away. The bus itself was left mangled at the bottom of a grassy slope about 70 yards from the road.
The company that operates the bus is up to date on its inspections including bus and driver safety checks, said a spokeswoman for the state Public Utility Commission.
The pregnant coach was flown to a hospital but died there of injuries she suffered. Quigley was about six months pregnant, but doctors were not able to save the life of her unborn child. Also killed was 61-year-old Anthony Gaetta, the driver, who died at the scene.
The other 23 passengers on the bus were taken to hospitals as a precaution.
After the bus crash that killed the pregnant coach, Seton Hill canceled its game on Saturday and another home game scheduled for Sunday. The Catholic university of about 2,500 students also planned a memorial service on Sunday.
Quigley was remembered fondly by Mike Scerbo, the women’s lacrosse coach at Duquesne University, who hired her in 2008 as an assistant coach.
“In that time, I really saw how much passion she had to be a coach, and how much she enjoyed working with the kids,” Scerbo told The Associated Press . “She was a teacher, and she wanted to help kids grow and learn, not just about the sport, but about life.”
Scerbo said he and Quigley remained close, and she often sought his insight on coaching matters.
“She was a very happy person, very passionate about life, about her players, about her job and most importantly about her family,” Scerbo said.
The pregnant coach who died in the crash also had a young son, Gavin.
