A Date Made Months Ago Ends in Tragedy

It was a date they made months ago: an out-of-town concert on Valentine’s Day.

Dozens of members of Memorial Baptist Church, many in their 70s, had just settled into their bus seats Friday bound for Dallas to see Christian singer Bill Gaither, when their bus swerved across the median on a highway slickened by rain and slammed into a sport utility vehicle, crumpling the SUV and rolling the bus.

Seven people were killed, five on the bus and two in the SUV; at least 24 others, three of whom were in critical condition Saturday, were taken to hospitals.

News of the crash, about 100 miles south of Dallas, brought families back to Memorial Baptist to mourn.

“We’re devastated. I feel numb,” Pastor Roy Parker said.

“They’ve been looking forward to this [concert] since last fall. They were really looking forward to it, really excited about it.”

Killed in the crash were church members Dolores Hinton, 72; Melvin Akers, 76; his wife, Delois “Speedie” Akers, 72; Jo Freeman, 70; and Martha McKee, 77.

At a memorial service Friday night, Parker told his grieving parishioners: “I want to assure you, we have not lost them. They are in heaven.”

The three people in the SUV worked at McLennan Community College in Waco and were headed to a meeting at Temple College, said Kim Patterson, a spokeswoman for the Waco school.

Those victims were 48-year-old Brenda Dobelbower, the driver, and Janice Roberson, 61. Donnie Hagan, 52, was injured and taken to a hospital. His condition was not available.

In addition to the three people who remained critically injured, four others were reported in serious condition.

Authorities said they think the bus was carrying 33 passengers, but others may have boarded at the last minute.

Central Texas Trails owned the bus and identified the driver as Johnny Cummings, said Steve Moody, a Waco attorney retained by the bus company.

Cummings, a company employee for 23 years, was being treated for injuries that were not life-threatening, Moody said.

Authorities had not yet received results of a blood test conducted on Cummings.

“The preliminary investigation of the troopers talking to him did not indicate any problems,” said Cpl. Charlie Morgan of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

A DPS spokesman said the bus swerved to avoid a traffic backup caused by an earlier accident. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.