The School of Visual and Performing Arts’ choir and band groups experienced multiple setbacks on their out-of-state trips, including two unrelated bus accidents in the same week.
Two students sustained minor injuries Saturday night when one of the buses carrying Sound of Today band members was involved in a collision in Montgomery, Alabama. All other student and faculty were not harmed, according to the university’s Office of Public Information.
Departments needing transportation for large groups “have discretion over who they use and they make those arrangements directly with a charter company,” according to Chris Ringo, assistant director of ULM’s physical plant.
Ringo said the Sound of Today band hired a charter company to transport band members to and from Troy, Alabama, for the football game Nov. 7.
Another vehicle collided with one of the band’s buses as it was proceeding through an intersection as part of a convoy, according to Vice President of Student Affairs, Camile Currier.
Currier also said that the band was not originally planned to drive back following the football team as part of convoy. They decided to leave at the same time that night. Currier also said that future trips will require more planning.
“We have to do a better job of coordinating,” Currier said.
If the band buses join the convoy in future trips, Currier said they will likely require a police escort in front and behind the vehicles.
Currier said, “It just takes coordination between all the departments working together.”
As the bus was driveable following the accident, Director of ULM Police, Tom Torregrossa arranged for ULM police to meet and escort the convoy back to ULM.
Jason Rinehart, Sound of Today band director, did not comment and directed all questions to the Office of Public Information.
On the other hand, Ringo said two ULM coaches were used for the annual choir recruitment trip to Texas. One coach “experienced a mechanical problem unrelated to routine maintenance.”
As the other ULM coach headed back to Monroe, Nov. 4, a passenger car entered the highway in the wrong direction. That car collided with another vehicle that knocked into the ULM coach carrying choir members.
Ringo said the coach received moderate damage, but no one was injured. All choir members returned safely to campus that evening after piling onto one bus for the rest of the ride home.
Avery Dace, junior music major, said students remained calm on the bus and a few stepped out to help assess the situation.
“With the help of the brave students, and excellent handling of the bus by our driver, we were able to quickly load our luggage on to another bus and travel back to school safely,” Dace said.
Ringo said the ULM coaches undergo routine preventative maintenance as recommended by the manufacturer.
“This does not eliminate the possibility of mechanical failures between maintenance intervals,” Ringo said.
VAPA Director, Derle Long, refused to comment on either accident and directed all questions to the Office of Public Information.
However, the Office of Public Information said it did not have any details regarding the choir bus accident other than those provided by Deborah Chandler, choir director. According to Brice Jones, assistant director of media relations, Chandler informed them that other motorists involved were injured but did not report the extent of those injuries.
According to Chandler, one choir bus with over 40 choir members broke down in Longview, Texas. Those members waited for a second bus at a nearby high school for around six hours until 9 p.m.
Then when the other choir bus was approximately 15 miles from the city of Shreveport, the three-vehicle accident involving the choir bus in the eastbound side of I-20 occured. Chandler immediately called 911 and left the bus along with others to assist people in the two other vehicles who sustained unknown injuries. The accident blew two back tires of the choir group’s bus, Chandler said.
Fortunately, the broken-down bus’ replacement was several minutes behind the bus involved in the collision, in order for all students to get on that one bus. However, Chandler and choir students were still shaken up by the accident.
“The very next day, I taught an 8 a.m. class that next morning and I was still kinda bruised, not in a physical sense but an emotional sense,” Chandler said.
“I think what we learned from this is that we’re a closer family than we ever thought we were and we need each other and we’re glad to be together,” she said. “I took 83 people away from here on Sunday and brought 83 home, so I feel like we did a good job.”
The Office of Public Information also did not have other details regarding the band bus accident.
