One Fan's View: 10 Years Later
By GARRETT SEARIGHT
Error, group does not exist! Check your syntax! (ID: 15)There are certain days in your life you’ll always remember where you were when you heard breaking news.
I was sitting in my living room when my dad told me our Grandma had passed away.
I was in the middle school cafeteria during study hall when I found out about 9/11.
And on March 2nd, 2007, I remember exactly where I was standing when my FFA Adviser asked if anyone in our class had an older sibling that went to Bluffton University.
It was a little after 9:00 am when I heard the news that Bluffton University’s baseball team had been involved in an accident in Atlanta, and the news wasn’t good.
We didn’t do our planned lesson that day. We turned the TV on and watched CNN for 40 minutes. We learned over and over again that families, friends, and an entire community would be heartbroken.
Zachary Arend, a freshman pitcher from Oakwood.
Scott Harmon, a freshman third baseman from Elida.
Cody Holp, a freshman pitcher from Arcanum.
Tyler Williams, a sophomore outfielder from Lima.
David Betts, a sophomore second baseman from Bryan.
Jerry Niemeyer, a 65-year-old bus driver from Columbus Grove.
Jean Niemeyer, the 61-year-old bus driver’s wife from Columbus Grove.
Those are the names of people killed that fateful day.
Many things have changed in the 10 years since the accident.
The State of Georgia took most of the blame for the accident, and rightfully so. The design of the exit ramp and the signage explaining the exit were inferior in every way.
Since the crash, federal guidelines for exits like the one the Bluffton bus crashed at have been improved exponentially.
Families of the players who lost their lives that day became strong advocates for auto and highway safety.
The Motor Coach Enhanced Safety Act of 2011 now requires all tour/coach buses to have seat belts. It also requires buses to have a stronger roof and safer windows.
The 2007 Bluffton University baseball team was recently elected to the schools athletic hall of fame, in their first year of eligibility. The team “demonstrated remarkable courage and strength including completing the 2007 baseball season under difficult circumstances”, the university said.
Of the 25 surviving members of the crash, 24 went on to graduate from Bluffton University.
One year after the crash, the Bluffton magazine wrote these words:
That single moment changed lives. But from that moment, a sea of moments arose. Hundreds of thousands of moments when complete strangers lent a helping hand. Moments when friends, family and community members gathered to lean on one another. Moments when the Bluffton baseball players, coaches and campus community realized that an entire world outside of Bluffton was supporting them, praying for them, wishing them well.
10 years later, we’re able to take a step back and realize some of the good that came from that tragic day.
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