Eastland High School band students are left without instruments.
Nearly all of them were destroyed in a bus accident on their way to a music competition.
The crash happened about 10 miles west of Weatherford on Interstate 20. It was in one of the construction areas between the Big Country and the Metroplex.
No one was injured when the school bus rear-ended and destroyed the trailer carrying their instruments.
"I looked up and the bus driver was on the breaks and just bam!" said student-teacher, Edward McSweeney.
McSweeney was on the front row of the bus during the trip.
"[The nose of the bus] actually went up into the trailer... The trailer then wrapped itself around the back end of my pickup," said Band Director, Terry Everts.
"I'm shocked no one was hurt," said band parent, Shelly Agnew. "I really am, by looking at the damage."
Agnew was accompanying the band on the bus and was there when the accident happened.
Everts added, "I probably asked each kiddo during the course of the next hour 'are you okay?'"
The band was on their way Burleson for a UIL concert to play 3 pieces of music that they had been working on for several months.
They had high expectations.
"Cause we are good," said Eastland High School Senior and member of the band, Kalyn Thayer. "We know we're good."
The band made sweepstakes last year. They've advanced to the State Marching Contest and placed 13th. They have 4 All States.
This UIL contest was next on their goal sheet, but they had to come back empty handed.
"It hit us pretty hard just because it was our last contest," said Thayer.
In addition to the fact that the students miss out on the competition, they lost their instruments.
They're waiting for the insurance adjuster to take a look at the wreckage and assess the damage.
Until then, they're left without a piece of their lives.
"In a way it's like part of us died, because all of our hard work were through those instruments," said Thayer.
The group still has one more concert to play, but they won't be left without. Local schools, even ones they compete against, have already stepped up to the plate.
Everts said, "We have friendly competition but it's not cutthroat."
Coleman, Clyde and Cisco have all donated instruments for the Eastland Band to use in their Spring Concert.
Nearly all of them were destroyed in a bus accident on their way to a music competition.
The crash happened about 10 miles west of Weatherford on Interstate 20. It was in one of the construction areas between the Big Country and the Metroplex.
No one was injured when the school bus rear-ended and destroyed the trailer carrying their instruments.
"I looked up and the bus driver was on the breaks and just bam!" said student-teacher, Edward McSweeney.
McSweeney was on the front row of the bus during the trip.
"[The nose of the bus] actually went up into the trailer... The trailer then wrapped itself around the back end of my pickup," said Band Director, Terry Everts.
"I'm shocked no one was hurt," said band parent, Shelly Agnew. "I really am, by looking at the damage."
Agnew was accompanying the band on the bus and was there when the accident happened.
Everts added, "I probably asked each kiddo during the course of the next hour 'are you okay?'"
The band was on their way Burleson for a UIL concert to play 3 pieces of music that they had been working on for several months.
They had high expectations.
"Cause we are good," said Eastland High School Senior and member of the band, Kalyn Thayer. "We know we're good."
The band made sweepstakes last year. They've advanced to the State Marching Contest and placed 13th. They have 4 All States.
This UIL contest was next on their goal sheet, but they had to come back empty handed.
"It hit us pretty hard just because it was our last contest," said Thayer.
In addition to the fact that the students miss out on the competition, they lost their instruments.
They're waiting for the insurance adjuster to take a look at the wreckage and assess the damage.
Until then, they're left without a piece of their lives.
"In a way it's like part of us died, because all of our hard work were through those instruments," said Thayer.
The group still has one more concert to play, but they won't be left without. Local schools, even ones they compete against, have already stepped up to the plate.
Everts said, "We have friendly competition but it's not cutthroat."
Coleman, Clyde and Cisco have all donated instruments for the Eastland Band to use in their Spring Concert.
