A three-vehicle crash at the intersection of West Christoffersen Parkway and Kilroy Avenue on Friday night resulted in the injuries that claimed the life of beloved Turlock High School basketball coach Jonathan Williams.
What had been planned as an exciting evening of basketball at Pitman High School quickly turned into a night of tragedy.The Pride’s girls basketball game against Lodi at the Pitman Holiday Classic occurred at 4 p.m. in the midst of the fourth quarter.
Incident was handled by the Turlock Police Department. Eight people were taken to nearby hospitals following the collision, including 48-year-old Williams.Coaches and tournament organizers decided to promptly call off the scheduled game while Williams was being transferred.
Williams passed away at the hospital later that evening from his wounds.For almost four hours, the Turlock Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team (M.A.I.T.) looked into the crash. They don’t think drugs or alcohol played a role in the collision.
The Turlock Unified School District released a statement saying, “The community at Turlock High School and TUSD is deeply saddened by the loss of John Williams.”
John coached the Bulldogs basketball for more than 20 years, during which time he had a profound impact on the lives of innumerable athletes and their families.
We are thinking about his family and expressing our condolences during this trying time.David Kline, the administrator of Turlock High School, continued, “It was a truly tragic event.”
“We will dedicate our time to helping Coach Williams’ family and the athletes affected by this tragic situation.”Williams, popularly referred to as “Big John,” is survived by his spouse and five kids.
At noon on Saturday, Cornfoot and the Bulldogs were supposed to play Venture Academy in the Modesto Christian Holiday Hoop Classic championship. That match was likewise called off.
For the remainder of the tournament, which ended Saturday night, the Modesto Christian basketball program took financial donations for the Williams family at the Anderson Gymnasium entrance.