The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Pregnant coach, bus driver killed in crash
CARLISLE, Pa. — A tour bus carrying a college’s women’s lacrosse team to a game went off the Pennsylvania Turnpike on Saturday and crashed into a tree, killing a pregnant coach and the driver and sending others to hospitals, authorities said.
Lacrosse players from Seton Hill University and three coaches were among the 23 people aboard when the bus crashed at about 9 a.m., turnpike spokeswoman Renee Colborn said. It’s not clear what caused the crash, but state police were investigating, said Megan Silverstram of the Cumberland County public safety department.
Kristina Quigley of Greensburg, 30, was flown to a hospital and died there from injuries in the crash, Cumberland County authorities said Saturday that. They say Quigley was about six months pregnant and her unborn child did not survive. The driver, 61-yearold Anthony Guaetta of Johnstown, died at the scene of the crash.
Two other victims were flown by helicopter to Penn State Hershey Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Danielle Ran said. She did not give their conditions. Officials said all other passengers were taken to hospitals as a precaution.
The bus came to a stop upright on the side of the road with part of its left side shorn off, photos from the scene showed, though it’s unclear whether that was from the impact or rescue operation.
The lacrosse team was headed to play Saturday afternoon at Millersville University, about 50 miles from the crash site in central Pennsylvania, for its fourth game of the year. The Griffins were off to a promising start at 3-1 in the young season. Both Saturday’s game and a home game today were canceled after the crash, and Seton Hill, a Catholic school of about 2,500 students near Pittsburgh, said a memorial Mass was planned for Sunday night on campus.
Quigley, a native of Baltimore, was married and had a young son, Gavin, the school said. She was in her second season as coach and led the Griffins to 11 wins last year. She came to the school from Erskine College in Due West, S.C., where she started the school’s NCAA Division II program. She also worked as an assistant coach at Duquesne, her alma mater in Pittsburgh, the school said.
The bus operator, Mlaker Charter & Tours, of Davidsville, Pa., is up to date on its inspections, which include bus and driver safety checks, said Jennifer Kocher, a spokeswoman for the state Public Utility Commission.