A Nov. 19 crash involving a pickup truck and two buses killed the Andrews High School band director, a bus driver and the driver of the pickup, San Angelo live reported.
For unknown reasons, the driver of the pickup, Nathan Paul Haile, 59, of Midland was driving westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-20 two miles east of Big Spring, the story said.
He hit the two buses, both carrying Andrews High students, which were traveling eastbound, the story said. A third bus in the caravan was not hit in the accident that occurred around 4 p.m. The students and staff were on their way to to Sweetwater for the football playoff game against Springtown, the station said.
The first bus hit was carrying the Andrews marching band, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The pickup truck burst into flames following the collision, and the driver of the truck was pronounced dead at the scene.
After the crash, the playoff game was postponed from Friday night to Saturday night. Within hours, bands from two other high schools, Sweetwater and Big Spring, quickly learned Andrews High songs and chants and filled in at halftime for the Andrews band, KOSA reported.
"We all live in West Texas. We all look after each other,” Big Spring superintendent Jay McWilliams, told the station. “When something like this happens that’s such a terrible tragedy, we all pitch in to help out each other.”
Eleven band members were in injured in the crash and transported to local hospitals, San Angelo Live reported.
Karen Gatny Johns, the wife of Andrews band director Darin Kimbrogh Johns, was also injured in the crash, the story said.