Published: October 17, 2007 08:13 pm            

MSU players react to bus accident

LAKE CHARLES, La. — A triple handful of McNeese State football players were quick on the draw Wednesday afternoon when a school bus carrying grade school students was involved in an accident and turned over into a water filled ditch on the west side of Common Street by the Lake Charles Municipal airport.

The Cowboys were on their way to practice inside at Burton Coliseum because of rain when they came upon the accident.

Kenneth Lundy, a senior defensive tackle on this year’s team, was one of the first to reach the bus.

“We were there only seconds after it happened. I stopped my car right in the middle of the highway and we all began pitching in to get the kids out of the bus,” the native of Baton Rouge said.

Lundy said that a couple of other people had already gotten the emergency door of the bus opened in the back and he, Detrick Taylor, LaDairus Key and John Hamilton – who had been riding with him – began to get the kids out of the bus.

Other Cowboys like Travis Thibodeaux, David Turnage, Vaalyn Jackson, Garren Jim, Tyson Sibley, John Ledet, Bernardo Henry, Bryant Mason, Josh Ellison, John Vigers, Geremy Pilate, Allen Nelson, Brian Harvey and Josh Wagner – soon arrived and joined in removing the kids from the bus.

“We put them all in Travis’ pickup truck and carried them over to Burton Coliseum,” said Lundy.

McNeese athletic trainer Jim Murphy checked the kids out when they got to Burton and remained with them until emergency medical technicians arrived.

        

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