Witness describes Hoover High Basketball team crash

Pictures by Charles Guest of the Los Banos Enterprise newspaper show the damage. A Fresno man named Matt was on his way to Monterey, when he saw the crash and called 9-1-1. We reached him by phone and he told us what happened. He asked we not reveal his last name.

Crash witness, Matt said, "I was a couple of hundred yards behind the van. I watched it drift over from the fast lane to the slow land onto the shoulder into the field. I couldn't believe what I was seeing it was going highway speed. It hit the power pole. The van flipped over two times. Had to tell it went so fast. It landed on its side on the guardrail."

The witness told us three boys and the driver managed to crawl out of the wreckage. Two were trapped inside. The most seriously hurt, Benjamin Ross, is seen here in his Facebook picture. The witness told us he appeared to have been partially ejected and was trapped under the vehicle. He is in a Modesto Hospital with serious injuries. The other injured player still hospitalized is Davante McPeters he's at CRMC with moderate injuries.

The witness told us the players said they were asleep when the accident occurred. A CHP Officer at the scene, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying the driver of the minivan, assistant coach Michael McDonald fell asleep at the wheel. But later CHP Reports say the cause of the accident is under investigation. The accident is of course a big concern for staff and students at Hoover High.

Principal Toby Wait said; "They're popular students, good athletes it certainly had an impact we're a close knit family here at Hoover."

Student Dillon Sams said; " I was just shocked. Really shocked."

Student Canishiea Robinson told us; "I couldn't stop thinking about it. We've been talking about it all day. Everybody at school. Our hearts go out to the families."

The basketball team was travelling in three rented mini vans to the tournament. The van involved in the crash was behind the other two vehicles.