The following information was presented by ACU Police chief Jimmy Ellison at 6 p.m. tonight in a press briefing on the university campus:
At approximately 3:30 p.m. today on County Road 234 between Ballinger and Paint Rock, there appears to have been a one-vehicle accident. An ACU-owned and operated bus left the roadway and rolled, striking a ditch and a culvert. The force of the accident sheered the top of the bus off, ejecting passengers. We have confirmed a total of 16 ACU-affiliated passengers (faculty, staff, students, and the spouse of a faculty member) who would have been on their way to a children’s home in Medina to participate in an annual service project.
There is much we don’t know. The accident is being investigated by Texas Highway Patrol. We do know there is one confirmed fatality; a number of other passengers are being treated for critical injuries. Those individuals are being cared for at four area hospitals. Top members of Abilene Christian University’s administration, including president Phil Schubert, are with the loved ones of those affected, working to make sure they have all the assistance our community can provide. Our students are assembling at 9 p.m. in the Beauchamp Amphitheater on our campus for a vigil as the entire ACU family lifts up the injured and their families in prayer.
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