Post by Todd B on Mar 26, 2007 9:52:14 GMT -5
Ida graduate recalls accident that claimed 5 teammates
Article published Mar 25, 2007
www.monroenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070325/NEWS01/103250029
IDA - It was a little hard for Jimmy McMonagle to eat his spaghetti and meatballs in the overflow tent at St. Joseph Catholic Church.
But at least he was home, in a safe place and surrounded by friends and family.
Saturday night, he and several members of the Bluffton University baseball team drove 1½ hours from Ohio to eat at a spaghetti supper to benefit the family of his friend, Tim Berta.
Just over three weeks ago, Jimmy walked away from a horrendous bus accident near Atlanta, Ga., that claimed the lives of five students, the driver and his wife. Tim was injured in the crash and remains in Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.
The charter bus was carrying the team to its first tournament in Florida when the driver lost control on a curve, struck the side of an overpass and plunged to the freeway below.
Jimmy, an Ida High School graduate, nearly lost his friend, Tim, an IHS graduate and member of the team. Tim was thrown from the bus and landed on the ground.
Jimmy, 21, had bruises to his arm, knee and hip, but survived the accident without any serious injuries. He feels fortunate to escape and still remembers everything that happened that early morning of March 2.
"I was just starting to fall asleep in the back of the bus when he (the driver) turned the wheel real sharp," Jimmy recalled. "I was lying down on the seats and remember getting thrown backwards. I was lucky. ... I held on to the seat" to keep from falling forward. He said he remembered the bus falling to the freeway and turning over.
"It felt like we were flipping through a field," he said. "I was able to stand up and helped some guys get out. We were all in shock. I knew what was going on. A couple were hurt bad."
He said Tim was sitting about five rows ahead of him and was thrown from the bus. Jimmy said he didn't know what happened to his friend until he found him outside lying near the bus.
"He was shaking," Jimmy said. "I was able to talk with him. He was one of the first they took" to the hospital.
Jimmy is studying health and physical education so he can teach some day. He said he had taken some first aid training, but it would not have helped that day.
"There was really nothing you could do" for the victims, most of whom had died instantly, he said. Several of the victims were trapped under the bus.
He said several players slept on the floor of the bus and they were the least likely to have gotten hurt because they did not move far and were not tossed around.
He is staying this weekend with his mother, Debbie Brannan, of Ida and his stepfather, Matt, along with about five other members of the team.
He said he attended all of the funerals for their teammates. He said he has learned to savor the moments and live life one day at a time.
"I feel very fortunate," Jimmy said. "I learned that life can end at any time. One minute you're asleep and the next minute, you're falling. ... You never know when it's your time."
Curtis Schroeder, a sophomore catcher on the team, was one of the few who were on the floor when the bus flipped. He also escaped with minor injuries.
The team practiced for about three hours Saturday before making the long drive to Ida. Curtis, too, ate spaghetti and was amazed at the big crowd of diners.
"It's amazing how much support we're getting and how many people Tim touched over the years," Curtis said. "He's a good guy."
Corey Heiden, a friend of Jimmy and Tim, joined the baseball team at the table. A junior at Michigan State University, he said he was still concerned about Tim recovering from his injuries.
"They went through so much. I'm still worried about him," Corey said.
The team will open its season with a home game Friday against Mount St. Joseph, a league foe in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.
Jimmy said he was happy to continue playing and noted it was a good decision for the school not to cancel the season.
"It will be good to get back on the field," he said. "We want to play for the guys who didn't make it. That's what they'd want us to do."