Basketball Star Ava Jones in Critical Condition After Tragic Accident; Her Father William Dead
Basketball star Ava Jones and her mother are in critical condition while her father, William Jones III, died after a driver ran over the family in a tragic road accident.
Multiple news outlets, including Courier-Journal, reported that the Jones family was struck while walking on a sidewalk in Louisville, Kentucky on June 5. An alleged drugged driver ran over them and caused the members to sustain different injuries.
Her father, William, died on Thursday, July 8, due to severe injuries he sustained. The matriarch, Amy Jones, and the basketball star remain in the University of Louisville Hospital as they currently fight for their lives.
Although the mother and daughter are in critical condition, their statuses have already been stabilized.
"Ava is stable but critical. Amy is stable but critical, too, but Amy's got a lot of things going. They're both still on a [ventilator]. They're trying to get Ava off, but it's a process. Just slow going," Jones' grandmother Mary Jones said, per Radar Online.
Jones' younger brother also sustained minor injuries but was still taken to Norton Children's Hospital.
ESPN reported that the rising Kansas high school basketball star at Nickerson High School recently committed herself to the University of Iowa. She and her family were in Louisville on the day of the accident for the Run 4 the Roses girls' basketball tournament.
A GoFundMe has been launched to help Jones' family recover from the tragic event. So far, it has already reached $105,202 from 1,500 donors. The funds will be used to pay the surviving family members' medical expenses and cover William's funeral.
Driver's Identity Confirmed
The Louisville Metropolitan Police Department eventually identified the driver who ran over the family, saying they had already charged the 33-year-old Michael Hurley of Lexington, Indiana.
Hurley initially received different charges, including four counts of first-degree assault, driving under the influence, and a license possession violation.
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LMPD informed WDRB that the driver would now be charged with murder as per the Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney Office since William died.
According to WLKY, Hurley admitted to police that he took hydrocodone before driving. It is an opioid mainly used to treat pain. Some also use it as a cough suppressant. He disclosed he was too tired to make a turn before striking the family on the sidewalk.
Still, he pleaded not guilty during the arraignment hearing.
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