Volleyball club in accident on 1-80; one hurt
Six members of the Utah State University men’s volleyball club were injured when their van crashed at 3 a.m. on I-80 30 miles west of Laramie, Wyo., in the middle of a severe snowstorm Wednesday morning.
The team was traveling to St. Louis, Mo., to compete the Intramural-Recreational Sports Association National Championships.
Greg Jorgenson, the team’s setter, captain and coach, suffered head injuries after being thrown from the van as it rolled. Ivinson Memorial Hospital spokeswomen Judy Gorham said Thursday Jorgenson was still unconscious, but more “restful.”
Five other club members – driver Justin Keith, Adam Longmore, Mike Tye, Jake Diem and Statesman writer Brian Carter – were also injured, treated and released.
“The players were shook up,” said Jorgenson’s roommate Adam Wright.
Three other players from the club, ranked No. 13 in the nation, were going to fly to the tournament that started Thursday, but the team has decided not to compete in the tournament.
The five injured players arrived in Salt Lake City Thursday night. USU paid for their return flights, said USU spokesman Tim Vitale.
“Our focus at this point is providing any support we can for our students and families,” said Gary Chambers, assistant vice president for Student Life.
Jorgenson is now being treated at the University of Utah Hospital, but his condition can’t be released until family is notified, a hospital spokesperson said.
Wright said Jorgenson is on a respirator and heavy medication.
The extent of his head injuries are not known yet.
Jorgenson, a transfer student from Snow College, has been a member of the club for the past two years and is scheduled to graduate this spring.
The 15-person university-owned van was passing a semi truck when the van slid off the road. Keith straightened out the van, but a tire blew, forcing the vehicle to roll, Carter said.
Only Keith and Diem – who was riding in the front passenger seat – were awake and wearing seat belts at the time of the accident. The four others were sleeping. Longmore was also thrown, but only for a few feet, Carter said.
Jorgenson was thrown 40 or 50 feet.
“We couldn’t find him at first,” Carter said. He was face down in 8 to 10 inches of snow but breathing.
The snow storm that hit the area shut down a portion of I-80 in the Nebraska Panhandle, the Associated Press reported.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol said more than 50 reports of accidents in the area were filed that night.
Questions have been raised about university policy regarding when a university-owned vehicle should be driven. Vitale wasn’t sure what the policy was.
“Since the accident, we haven’t looked at the policy yet,” he said.
The university’s focus has been on the return of the team to Logan.
USU President Kermit Hall said USU will do all it can to help.
“It is deeply troubling to all of us when things like this happen, and our hearts go out to the families,” he said.