Women's basketball recruit and parents hospitalized after being hit by vehicle in downtown Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The four pedestrians who were hospitalized after police said an impaired driver hit them Tuesday evening in downtown Louisville include a University of Iowa women's basketball recruit and her parents, officials say.
Ava Jones and her parents, Amy and Trey Jones, were struck along with a child shortly before 8 p.m. Tuesday while in Louisville, Wheat State Elite coach Craig Nicholson confirmed to The Hutchinson News, part of the Paste BN Network.
Nicholson coaches Ava Jones on Wheat State Elite, an AAU team from Kansas.
According to Louisville Metro Police, the two adults who were hit were in critical condition Wednesday morning and the teenage female was in "serious but stable condition." The child was treated for "minor injuries," police spokesperson Beth Ruoff added.
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The family came to Louisville for the Run 4 Roses Classic, an AAU girls basketball tournament running through Friday on more than 80 courts spread throughout the Kentucky Exposition Center.
Jones is ranked as the 83rd best girls basketball player in the nation in the Class of 2023, according to ESPNW's top 100.
Amy and Trey Jones both work for the local school district in Nickerson, Kansas. Amy Jones is the assistant superintendent for Nickerson USD 309, while Trey Jones teaches woodworking at the high school and is the head track and field coach.
Nickerson is a town of nearly 1,000 residents that is roughly 60 miles northwest of Wichita.
Ruoff said the accident occurred just before 8 p.m. Tuesday when a driver struck four pedestrians at Second and Market streets.
Ruoff did not identify the four pedestrians but said they were taken to University of Louisville Hospital and Norton Children's Hospital.
LMPD arrested Michael Hurley, 33, after the incident and charged him with four counts of first-degree assault along with driving under the influence and a license possession violation.
Hurley was turning left off Market Street to head north on Second Street when his car left the road and hit the four pedestrians, according to an arrest citation. Alcohol was not listed as a factor in the crash, but LMPD said Hurley told officers he had taken hydrocodone and was "so tired that he could not make the turn."
Hurley had an arraignment hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning, and it was not immediately clear if he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
Ava Jones announced her commitment Sunday to Iowa after initially picking Arizona State.
As a junior this past season at Nickerson High School in Kansas, the 6-foot-2 forward averaged 20.8 points, 15.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game while helping her team finish fourth in the Kansas Class 3A state tournament. She also has qualified for numerous track and field events at the Kansas state meet and plays volleyball, according to The Hutchinson News.
The University of Iowa said it is not allowed to comment on Jones' situation due to NCAA rules pertaining to unsigned athletes.
Brooks Holton and Billy Kobin report for The Courier Journal. Billy Watson reports for The Hutchinson News in Hutchinson, Kansas, part of the Paste BN Network.