ROME, Ga. - Rome High School's football team will not play in this Friday's Corky Kell Dave Hunter Classic after a late-night bus crash sent a dozen students to a hospital last Friday.
The school announced the decision not to participate in the season opener on its website, calling the move a "precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the football players."
The crash happened shortly before 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 9 along Highway 101 near Doc Moates Road and Old Rome Road - about 2 miles northwest of Aragon.
Police say a woman driving a Nissan Versa drifted over the line and hit the school bus, which was carrying Rome High players and coaches who were on their way back from a scrimmage against Rockmart.
Residents in the area told FOX 5 that the crash caused the bus to overturn and skid into a power pole. The Nissan ended up going down an embankment.
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School bus carrying football team crashes
A late night school bus crash involving the Rome football team has sent 11 people, including nine students, to the hospital.
Officials at Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center said 15 patients - three adults and 12 students - were transported to the hospital. All of them have since been treated and released.
"We obviously want to play the game if possible, but after the players were evaluated by physicians, we realized that it was not in their best interest to suit up and play on Friday. We hope everyone understands this measure, but the safety of our student-athletes comes first," Rome High Football Coach John Reid said. "We want to thank the organizers of the Corky Kell Dave Hunter Classic for understanding, and we want to thank the community for all the prayers and support you have offered us after the incident on Thursday."
Rome was supposed to face Creekside, but that game has been canceled.
The team's next scheduled game is set for Friday, Aug. 30, in Carrollton.
Driver charged in Rome High School bus crash
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Rome High School bus crash a DUI investigation
Twenty-one-year-old Jeyonna Underwood faces DUI and endangerment charges after a crash just before 10:30 a.m. along Highway 101 near Aragon. The crash caused a school bus carrying the Rome Wolves football team to overturn, sending dozens to the hospital.
Detectives say they suspected the driver of the Nissan was under the influence of alcohol and placed her under arrest.
On Friday morning, they identified the driver as 21-year-old Jeyonna Jariah Underwood of Rome.
Underwood has been charged with DUI, failure to maintain lane, and DUI endangerment of child under the age of 14.