I Want to Help

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.

A prayer service has been scheduled for 9 p.m. in the Beauchamp Amphitheater at ACU (at the base of the Tower of Light, west of the Chapel on the Hill). Everyone is welcome.

We are still waiting on information from ACU representatives who are on site.

This page is being updated regularly by ACU’s Office of Public Relations. Please check back often for updates and additional information.

ACU president Dr. Phil Schubert and university staff are headed to the hospitals where passengers were transported, and should have information soon.

ACU Police chief Jimmy Ellison is going to brief the local media at 6 p.m. CST. His information also will be posted on this blog.

This page is being updated regularly by ACU’s Office of Public Relations. Please check back often for updates and additional information.

An Abilene Christian University bus overturned this afternoon near Paint Rock, Texas. Twelve students, three faculty members and the spouse of one faculty member were passengers, representing the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Please keep them in your prayers. We are confirming information with officials on site and will share it with you as we learn it.