THE BOWLING FAMILY INVOLVED IN SERIOUS ACCIDENT; BUS, TRACTOR TRAILER COLLIDE IN NC

 

Monday, June 28, 2010

UPDATE - Thursday, July 1 - 9:45 PM
Source: Chuck Peters, SouthernGospelReporter.com

The latest report from family members says Mike Bowling and six year old daughter, Katelanne.. appear to have sustained the most serious injuries as a result of a bus crash earlier today near Charlotte, NC. Reports say they were on the side of the bus that took the brunt of the impact,.. and were thrown forward. Family member Brian Lawing told our reporter: "Mike has a skull fracture, broken wrist, and lacerations. Kelly has a broken or crushed vertebrae and possible broken ankle. Katelanne's collar bone is broken in two places and she has a deep laceration on her face. The piano player has a broken ankle. The rest of the family/band/crew are all okay. Shaken up and bruised but praise God they are okay." Mike and Katelanne were airlifted to a nearby medical facility,.. the others were transported by ambulance to the same hospital. All involved are expected to make a complete recovery.

Police officers working the accident scene released a statement tonight saying: "A tractor trailer was stopped in traffic in the northbound lane of I-85 when the tour bus -- also traveling north -- hit the tractor trailer in the rear. The tractor trailer then hit a box truck in front of it." The Bowling Family was enroute to a concert appearance in Indian Land, South Carolina.

SOURCE: WBTV, Charlotte, NC

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - At least 10 people were injured when a gospel group's tour bus collided with a semi-truck on Interstate 85 on a bridge over the Catawba River just before 5 p.m. Thursday.

The wreck happened near the Gaston County line on the bridge and hurt 10 people -- including three people from a Nashville gospel group, called the Bowling Family. The front of a tour bus apparently hit the rear of a Smithfield tractor trailer, causing the truck to jackknife and block all northbound lanes on the bridge, police said.

The front of the tour bus appeared to be destroyed, while the rear of the truck's trailer was pushed in several feet and was also heavily damaged.

Belmont Police released a statement Thursday evening about how the wreck happened: A tractor trailer was stopped in traffic in the northbound lane of I-85 when the tour bus -- also traveling north -- hit the tractor trailer in the rear. The tractor trailer then hit a box truck in front of it.

The bus involved in the wreck is a tour bus for the Bowling Family gospel trio.

According to Beckie Simmons, the group's agent, all three members Mike Bowling, Kelly Bowling and alto Terah Crabb Penhollow were on the bus and were injured in the crash.

Simmons told WBTV that Mike Bowling was airlifted to the hospital after the crash.  Simmons says Penhollow has a broken arm from the crash, but she didn't know the extent of Kelly Bowling's injuries.

WBTV was told one of the couple's three children, Kaitlin, was on the bus with the group.
The Bowling Family gospel, from Nashville, trio was on their way to a concert at the City of Lights/INSP in Indian Land, South Carolina.

The crash backed up traffic for miles and officials have suggested an alternate route: Take Exit 27 off I-85 and make a right off the exit ramp.  Take a left on Wilkinson Blvd and then take a left on Sam Wilson Rd.  Continue on Sam Wilson Rd. to I-85 Northbound.

The patients were taken to Carolinas Medical Center-Main and to Presbyterian Hospital. It's not clear what their conditions are, but there are no fatalities reported at this point. Two people of the 10 were reported to be in critical condition.

Several MEDIC units were on the scene and two medical helicopters landed to transport the injured.  They were assisting Gaston County Fire & Rescue.

The traffic is so backed up that WBTV employees in Sky 3, who are hundreds of feet in the air, could not see clear roads beyond the wreck.

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