Players hurt in team bus crash

Five players were taken to hospital in Kamloops for treatment and one was airlifted with a serious but apparently non-life-threatening injury after a bus carrying the College Heights Secondary School senior girls volleyball team went off Highway 97 just north of Cache Creek early Tuesday afternoon.

“Our thoughts are with those involved, their families and their friends,” College Heights principal Randy Halpape said in a letter posted on the school’s website.

Team members are Emily Motley, Reeyse Desmarais, Emily MacDonald, Morgan Johnson, Rachel Kidd, Justine Guillet, Natasha Kozlowski, Melissa Bell, Brooke Eberherr, Ashlee Hick, Alysha Madsen and Sydney Bazinet. Jason Olexyn is the head coach and the assistants are Jay Guillet, Laura Wagner and Griffin Olexyn.

B.C. RCMP traffic services Cpl. Mike Halskov said two adults and 10 students were in the bus when it crashed at about 12:10 p.m.

The team was heading to the B.C. high school triple-A championships in Powell River.

Other than to say the incident is under investigation, head coach Olexyn declined to comment when reached by phone.

“It’s under investigation by police, so we really can’t comment on it,” he said.

The highway was reopened at 1:15 p.m.

It’s under investigation by police, so we really can’t comment on it.

— Head coach Jason Olexyn